US 2019/0391461 A1Published application

Prism-based optical circuits

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsPablo F. Barquero Garro, Ricardo A. Golcher, Franz F. Liebinger, Meller J. P. Nunez

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Abstract

A media-defined optical logic circuit composed of a set of light-transmitting polyhedral prisms arranged so that a pair of adjacent prisms can exchange photonic signals through adjacent surfaces. Each prism contains one or more quantum dots that, when excited by a photonic signal received from an adjacent prism, respond by emitting light that becomes an incoming photonic signal for an adjacent prism. Photonic signals are propagated through the circuit in this manner along light-guide paths created by shading certain surfaces to render them fully or partially opaque. The prisms and shading are arranged such that the circuit performs a certain logic function. When the circuit receives a set of photonic input signals representing a binary input value, the circuit responds by emitting a set of photonic output signals that represent a binary output value determined by performing the logic function upon the binary input value.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A media-defined optical circuit capable of performing a logical operation, the circuit comprising:

a set of polyhedral prisms physically arranged such that each prism of the set of polyhedral prisms is adjacent to at least one other prism of the set of polyhedral prisms,
where a quantum dot is embedded into each prism of the set of polyhedral prisms,
where a first prism of the set of polyhedral prisms is adjacent to a second prism of the set of polyhedral prisms,
where the second prism is adjacent to a third prism of the set of polyhedral prisms,
where a sufficiently energetic first photonic signal generated by a quantum dot embedded into the first prism is capable of exciting a second quantum dot embedded into the second prism to emit a second photonic signal capable of exciting a third quantum dot embedded into the third prism to emit a third photonic signal,
where the physical arrangement of the set of polyhedral prisms is chosen so as allow the circuit to receive a set of photonic input signals through surfaces of one or more input prisms of the set of polyhedral prisms,
where the physical arrangement of the set of polyhedral prisms is chosen so as allow the circuit to emit a set of photonic output signals through circuit-output surfaces of one or more circuit-output prisms of the set of polyhedral prisms,
where a single attenuated signal lacks sufficient intensity to excite a quantum dot, embedded into a fourth prism of the set of polyhedral prisms, to emit a photonic signal if the single attenuated signal's degree of attenuation exceeds a predetermined attenuation value, and
where multiple signals entering the fourth prism excite the quantum dot embedded into the fourth prison to emit a photonic signal if the combined intensity of the multiple signals exceeds a predetermined light-intensity value.

6 more elements

A method of forming an optical circuit, the method comprising:

physically arranging a set of polyhedral prisms such that each prism of the set of polyhedral prisms is adjacent to at least one other prism of the set of polyhedral prisms,
where a quantum dot is embedded into each prism of the set of polyhedral prisms,
where a first prism of the set of polyhedral prisms is adjacent to a second prism of the set of polyhedral prisms,
where the second prism is adjacent to a third prism of the set of polyhedral prisms,
where a sufficiently energetic first photonic signal generated by a quantum dot embedded into the first prism is capable of exciting a second quantum dot embedded into the second prism to emit a second photonic signal capable of exciting a third quantum dot embedded into the third prism to emit a third photonic signal,
where the physical arrangement of the set of polyhedral prisms is chosen so as allow the circuit to receive a set of photonic input signals through surfaces of one or more input prisms of the set of polyhedral prisms,
where the physical arrangement of the set of polyhedral prisms is chosen so as allow the circuit to emit a set of photonic output signals through circuit-output surfaces of one or more circuit-output prisms of the set of polyhedral prisms,
where a single attenuated signal lacks sufficient intensity to excite a quantum dot, embedded into a fourth prism of the set of polyhedral prisms, to emit a photonic signal if the single attenuated signal's degree of attenuation exceeds a predetermined attenuation value, and
where multiple signals entering the fourth prism excite the quantum dot embedded into the fourth prison to emit a photonic signal if the combined intensity of the multiple signals exceeds a predetermined light-intensity value.

6 more elements

A method of using an optical circuit, the method comprising:

submitting to the optical circuit, by means of external light sources, a set of photonic circuit-input signals,
where the optical circuit comprises a set of polyhedral prisms physically arranged such that each prism of the set of polyhedral prisms is adjacent to at least one other prism of the set of polyhedral prisms,
where a quantum dot is embedded into each prism of the set of polyhedral prisms,
where a first prism of the set of polyhedral prisms is adjacent to a second prism of the set of polyhedral prisms,
where the second prism is adjacent to a third prism of the set of polyhedral prisms,
where a sufficiently energetic first photonic signal generated by a quantum dot embedded into the first prism is capable of exciting a second quantum dot embedded into the second prism to emit a second photonic signal capable of exciting a third quantum dot embedded into the third prism to emit a third photonic signal,
where the physical arrangement of the set of polyhedral prisms is chosen so as allow the circuit to receive a set of photonic input signals through surfaces of one or more input prisms of the set of polyhedral prisms,
where the physical arrangement of the set of polyhedral prisms is chosen so as allow the circuit to emit a set of photonic output signals through circuit-output surfaces of one or more circuit-output prisms of the set of polyhedral prisms,
where a single attenuated signal lacks sufficient intensity to excite a quantum dot, embedded into a fourth prism of the set of polyhedral prisms, to emit a photonic signal if the single attenuated signal's degree of attenuation exceeds a predetermined attenuation value, and
where multiple signals entering the fourth prism excite the quantum dot embedded into the fourth prison to emit a photonic signal if the combined intensity of the multiple signals exceeds a predetermined light-intensity value.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/554,781Filed 29 Aug 2019
Priority: 23 Feb 2017
Published: 26 Dec 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

G02F 3/00
Optical logic elements
G02B 5/045
Prisms: prism arrays
H10D 48/3835
Quantum effect devices, e.g. of devices using quantum reflection, diffraction or interference effects: semiconductor qubit devices comprising a…
B82Y 10/00
Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission

Family

Application15/440,110Continuation · filed 23 Feb 2017
Application16/124,380Continuation · filed 7 Sep 2018
Application16/554,781Continuation
US 10,133,151 B2Related patent
US 10,459,312 B2Related patent
US 10,578,947 B2Related patent
US 2018/0239216 A1Published application
US 2019/0018302 A1Published application
US 2019/0391461 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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