Keynote Speakers

Energy Efficient Interconnects for Inter/Intra Datacenter Connectivity
in the era of Artificial Intelligence relying on Analogue Optical Signal Processing

In the era of Artificial Intelligence, there is a need for a significant increase in the transmission rates (bit/sec) of optical transceivers (TRx) and the capacity of optical switches used for interconnections within data centers and across them, while simultaneously reducing the power consumption per transmitted/switched bit by a substantial degree. This need can be met by gradually replacing the electronic circuits that currently implement switching as well as digital signal processing (DSP) and digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital signal conversion (DACs/ADCs) with corresponding photonic devices that enable all-optical switching and "Analogue Optical Signal Processing" (AOSP).

In the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Patras, we are developing innovative all-optical switching systems as well as AOSP techniques for Optical Transceivers, such as optical-DACs ("oDACs"), optical chromatic and polarization mode dispersion equalizers (Chromatic & Polarization Mode Dispersion Equalizers), optical polarization demultiplexers, etc., within the framework of European-funded research projects (FLEX-SCALE & PROTEUS-6G). The talk will present the ideas we have proposed and are developing for intra- and inter-data center interconnections as well as 6G networks x-haul infrastructure, based on principles of “Programmable Integrated Photonics” (PIPs). The advantages of these optical transceivers and switches compared to commercially available TRx/switches, as well as other emerging TRx/switch proposals recently proposed in the scientific literature by leading academic groups and large/ startup companies, will be also presented.