Planning Grant: I/UCRC for Optical Wireless Applications

Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta GA

Investigators

Abstract

Planning Grant for an I/UCRC for Optical Wireless Applications Proposal #1134830 Georgia Tech Georgia Tech seeks to join Pennsylvania State University (PSU) to establish the center for Optical Wireless Applications. PSU (lead institution) has already been awarded the planning grant, and has successfully completed the planning grant workshop. This proposal seeks to make innovative contributions to the hardware technology of ExaScale computing and TeraScale informatics, and advance the state of the art in high bandwidth wireless data transmission between processor and memory dies and in wireless communication over optical fibers. The proposed work is divided into two thrusts. The first deals with the technology of TeraScale information highway which includes long distance optical communication, regional radio over fiber (RoF) and wireless end user. The second proposes a completely new approach to data exchange between a chip multiprocessor (CMP) and (DRAM) main memory within a computer node, namely a low power millimeter wave wireless data bus that bypasses the need for the traditional electrical back-plane. The multi-disciplined nature of the project is aimed to harness a diverse educational and research approach that nurtures individual initiative in students who will actively interacts with industry and universities, to achieve a highly educated and skilled work-force that is able to compete in the global race to achieve ExaScale computing machines and a TeraScale information infrastructure. The result of this research is expected to contribute to business competitiveness, energy security, environmental protection, and climate forecast.