Inter-chip optical communication
A system includes a plurality of chips, at least one of said chips having transmission circuitry constructed and adapted to emit a signal in the form of electro-magnetic radiation (EMR), said transmission circuitry including one or more nano-resonant structures that emit said EMR when exposed to a beam of charged particles, and at least some of said chips having receiver circuitry constructed and adapted to receive an EMR signal. A connector is constructed and adapted to receive emitted EMR from said at least one of said chips having transmission circuitry and further constructed and adapted to provide data in said EMR emitted by said at least one of said chips to receiver circuitry of at least some others of said plurality of chips.
1 . A system comprising:
a first chip having transmission circuitry constructed and adapted to emit a signal in the form of electromagnetic radiation (EMR), said transmission circuitry including one or more nano-resonant structures that emit said EMR when exposed to a beam of charged particles; and
a second chip having receiver circuitry constructed and adapted receive said emitted EMR.
2 . A system as in claim 1 wherein said second chip is physically adjacent said first chip.
3 . A system as in claim 1 wherein said emitted EMR travels from said first chip to said second chip along a direct line-of-sight optical path.
4 . A system as in claim 1 wherein said emitted EMR travels from said first chip to said second chip along an indirect optical path.
5 . A system as in claim 4 wherein said indirect optical path includes one or more reflective elements.
6 . A system as in claim 1 wherein said emitted EMR travels from said first chip to said second chip along a fiber optic path.
7 . A system as in claim 1 further comprising:
a connector mechanism constructed and adapted to provide to the second chip data transmitted from the first chip.
8 . A system as in claim 7 wherein the connector mechanism receives said data from the first chip in a first form and transmits the received data to the second chip in a second form distinct from the first form.
9 . A system as in claim 8 wherein the first form comprises EMR at a first wavelength and/or frequency and wherein the second form comprises EMR at a second wavelength and/or frequency distinct from the first wavelength and/or frequency.
10 . A system as in claim 7 wherein the connector mechanism is connected to the first chip in a first connection form and is connected to the second chip in a second connection form distinct from the first connection form.
11 . A system as in claim 10 wherein the first and second connection forms are selected from the group comprising: optical connection; electrical connection.
12 . A system comprising:
a plurality of chips, at least one of said chips having transmission circuitry constructed and adapted to emit a signal in the form of electromagnetic radiation (EMR), said transmission circuitry including one or more nano-resonant structures that emit said EMR when exposed to a beam of charged particles;
a connector constructed and adapted to receive said emitted EMR and to provide data in said EMR emitted by said at least one of said chips to at least some others of said plurality of chips.
13 . A system as in claim 12 wherein:
said connector comprises circuitry constructed and adapted to receive said emitted EMR from said at least one chip and to retransmit said EMR signal to others of said plurality of chips.
14 . A system as in claim 13 wherein said connector is further constructed and adapted to selectively retransmit said EMR signal to one or more of said plurality of chips.
15 . A system as in claim 12 wherein said connector is optically connected to at least some of said plurality of chips.
16 . A system as in claim 6 wherein the at least on nano-resonant structure is constructed and adapted to emit at least one of visible light, infrared light, and ultraviolet light.
17 . A system comprising:
a plurality of chips, at least one of said chips having transmission circuitry constructed and adapted to emit a signal in the form of electromagnetic radiation (EMR), said transmission circuitry including one or more nano-resonant structures that emit said EMR when exposed to a beam of charged particles, and at least some of said chips having receiver circuitry constructed and adapted to receive an EMR signal; and
a connector constructed and adapted to receive emitted EMR from said at least one of said chips having transmission circuitry and further constructed and adapted to provide data in said EMR emitted by said at least one of said chips to receiver circuitry of at least some others of said plurality of chips.
18 . A system as in claim 17 wherein the connector is optically connected to at least some of said plurality of chips.
19 . A system as in claim 18 wherein at least some of said plurality of chips are optically connected to said connector along a direct line-of-sight optical path.
20 . A system as in claim 18 wherein at least some of said plurality of chips are optically connected to said connector along an indirect optical path.
21 . A system as in claim 18 wherein said indirect optical path includes one or more reflective devices.
22 . A system as in claim 17 wherein the connector mechanism receives data from in a first form and transmits the received data in a second form distinct from the first form.
23 . A system as in claim 22 wherein the first form comprises EMR at a first wavelength and/or frequency and wherein the second form comprises EMR at a second wavelength and/or frequency distinct from the first wavelength and/or frequency.
24 . A system as in claim 16 wherein at least one of the chips comprises:
a source of charged particles.
25 . A system as in claim 24 wherein said source of charged particles is selected from the group comprising:
an ion gun, a tungsten filament, a cathode, a planar vacuum triode, an electron-impact ionizer, a laser ionizer, a chemical ionizer, a thermal ionizer, and an ion-impact ionizer.
26 . A system as in claim 24 wherein the charged particles are selected from the group comprising: positive ions, negative ions, electrons, and protons.
27 . A system comprising:
a plurality of integrated chips; and
an optical multiplexer,
wherein at least some of the chips are optically interconnected via the optical multiplexer, and
wherein at least some of the chips comprise:
at least one nano-resonant structure constructed and adapted to emit electromagnetic radiation (EMR) in response to excitation by a beam of charged particles.
28 . A method comprising:
providing a first chip having transmission circuitry constructed and adapted to emit a signal in the form of electromagnetic radiation (EMR), said transmission circuitry including one or more nano-resonant structures that emit said EMR when exposed to a beam of charged particles; and
providing a second chip having receiver circuitry constructed and adapted receive said emitted EMR.
29 . A method as in claim 28 further comprising:
providing said second chip physically adjacent said first chip.
30 . A method as in claim 28 further comprising:
causing said first chip to emit an EMR signal; and
causing said emitted EMR signal to be provided to said second chip.
31 . A method as in claim 30 wherein said emitted EMR travels from said first chip to said second chip along an indirect optical path.
32 . A method as in claim 31 wherein said indirect optical path includes one or more reflective elements.
33 . A method as in claim 30 wherein said emitted EMR travels from said first chip to said second chip along a fiber optic path.
34 . A method as in claim 28 further comprising:
providing a connector mechanism constructed and adapted to provide to the second chip data transmitted from the first chip.
35 . A method as in claim 34 further comprising:
at the connector mechanism, receiving data from the first chip in a first form; and
transmitting the received data to the second chip in a second form distinct from the first form.