Figure 5
Scaling performance of a digital interconnect link technology for on-off key (OOK) modulation.
Data points represent link lengths of 1 mm for chip-size signal communication, whereas dashed-lines denote how the link FOM changes for 100 μm (top) and 1 cm (bottom) communication distances. The electrical link (green) is based on the 22 nm technology node (similar link distances apply). The MNP chip length FOM is below unity (data clipped), due to the inherent losses in the link requiring high laser powers. Hybridizations36 (purple) where active components are plasmonic and passive data routing are photonics allow for highest FOMs for all length sales clearly outperforming electronics20. The RR, FP, and Hybrid MNP use Silicon photonics waveguides as interconnects (αSi = 0.01 dB/mm), whereas the all-plasmonic MNP link deploys surface plasmon polariton waveguides (αSPP = 44 dB/mm).
