Description du projet
Un point de vue éclairé sur la logique numérique pourrait révolutionner le futur de nos dispositifs
Les circuits intégrés prédiffusés programmables (FPGA, Field-programmable gate arrays) ont révolutionné l’industrie électronique. Comme leur nom l’indique, il s’agit de circuits intégrés qui peuvent être programmés ou reprogrammés par le client pour toute fonctionnalité ou application requise après la fabrication, c’est-à-dire sur site. Aujourd’hui, le projet FPPA, financé par l’UE, prépare l’ouverture d’une entreprise dérivée qui commercialisera sa technologie qui passe des opérations logiques numériques programmables aux interférences optiques pour des opérations analogiques à très haut débit. Ses circuits photoniques programmables (FPPA, field-programmable photonic array) novateurs pourraient bien révolutionner un marché actuellement caractérisé par l’existence de presque autant de circuits optiques programmés pour des tâches spécifiques qu’il y a d’applications. Une puce optique programmable permettrait de réduire les coûts de conception et de fabrication tout en ouvrant une nouvelle ère d’innovation optique.
Objectif
The core concept behind this POC proposal spins-off from the activity of the Advanced Grant ERC-ADG-2016-741415 UMWPCHIP. It will establish the innovation potential behind a novel and revolutionary concept, the Field Programmable Photonic Array (FPPA).
The FPPA has a similar rationale as the FPGA in electronics: A common hardware is designed to provide several resources that can be employed to implement different functionalities by means of programming. However, the FPPA is different from the FPGA in the sense that it does not carry digital logic operations but rather exploits optical interference to perform very high-speed analog operations acting over the phase and amplitudes of optical signals in a controlled environment provided by the chip's reduced footprint.
The overall aim is to develop the first steps of this process that include: the technical and commercial viability; development of IPR strategy; establishing connections for later stage funding and covering the initial expenses for establishing a spin-off company. To achieve the project overall goals, I have organized the work-plan into three main tasks. T1: Hardware Development, T2: Software Development and T3: Technology transfer and Spin-off constitution.This combined effort to be undertaken through ERC PoC will provide both a strong technical as well as business foundation for my revolutionary FPPA concept.
To my knowledge neither any other research group nor any other company in the world has proposed so far a similar integral approach towards a generic programmable photonic product such as that of the FPPA. Clearly, there is an extraordinary window of opportunity for developing this innovative concept, opening the path towards overcoming the death of More's Law enabing future flexible integrated chips incorporating both electronics and photonic parts.
This PoC project will be the first leading to the creation of a European spin-off company in the field of programmable photonics.
Champ scientifique
Programme(s)
Régime de financement
ERC-POC-LS - ERC Proof of Concept Lump Sum PilotInstitution d’accueil
46022 Valencia
Espagne