Adaptive optical interconnects: The ADDAPT project

Existing optical networks are driven by dynamic user and application demands but operate statically at their maximum performance. Thus, optical links do not offer much adaptability and are not very energy-effcient. In this paper a novel approach of implementing performance and power adaptivity from system down to optical device, electrical circuit and transistor level is proposed. Depending on the actual data load, the number of activated link paths and individual device parameters like bandwidth, clock rate, modulation format and gain are adapted to enable lowering the components supply power. This enables exible energy-efficient optical transmission links which pave the way for massive reductions of CO2 emission and operating costs in data center and high performance computing applications. Within the FP7 research project Adaptive Data and Power Aware Transceivers for Optical Communications (ADDAPT) dynamic high-speed energy-efficent transceiver subsystems are developed for short-range optical interconnects taking up new adaptive technologies and methods. The research of eight partners from industry, research and education spanning seven European countries includes the investigation of several adaptive control types and algorithms, the development of a full transceiver system, the design and fabrication of optical components and integrated circuits as well as the development of high-speed, low-loss packaging solutions. This paper describes and discusses the idea of ADDAPT and provides an overview about the latest research results in this field

Rational design of HIV vaccines and microbicides: report of the EUROPRISE network annual conference 2010

Novel, exciting intervention strategies to prevent infection with HIV have been tested in the past year, and the field is rapidly evolving. EUROPRISE is a network of excellence sponsored by the European Commission and concerned with a wide range of activities including integrated developmental research on HIV vaccines and microbicides from discovery to early clinical trials. A central and timely theme of the network is the development of the unique concept of co-usage of vaccines and microbicides. This review, prepared by the PhD students of the network captures much of the research ongoing between the partners. The network is in its 5th year and involves over 50 institutions from 13 European countries together with 3 industrial partners; GSK, Novartis and Sanofi-Pasteur. EUROPRISE is involved in 31 separate world-wide trials of Vaccines and Microbicides including 6 in African countries (Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda), and is directly supporting clinical trials including MABGEL, a gp140-hsp70 conjugate trial and HIVIS, vaccine trials in Europe and Africa

III-V on Silicon Photonics for CMOS-Embedded On-Chip Light Sources

Data-rich applications, such as cloud computing, video streaming and social media fuel a growing demand for high-performance data centers. Their performance is based on interconnected server nodes and thus a high-throughput and low-latency network is crucial for their operation. To support the network, cost-efficient optical transceivers have become the technology of choice, since they provide the required bandwidth density, distance and power efficiency. However, optical transceivers require many components such as lasers, photodetectors, optical modulators and electrical circuits to be assembled. This assembly represents a substantial fraction of the total transceiver cost. Hence, a monolithic integration of these components is a well-known way to reduce this cost. Today, all building blocks of an optical transceiver can be fabricated in the monolithic Silicon Photonics platform – except the laser. Integrating III-V materials, required for building on-chip lasers on silicon is therefore key for further cost reduction. In this thesis, an integration technology is developed to embed III-V based light sources in a CMOS Silicon Photonics platform. This technology allows lasers, photonic components and electronic circuits to be fabricated on the same chip. With such tight integration, compact and cost-efficient optical transceivers can be realized, both key for future high-speed and high-volume optical interconnects

Self-organised learning in vocational education boundaries, findings and consequences

Die Notwendigkeit des selbstständigen, lebenslangen Lernens zur Sicherstellung von unternehmerischer Wettbewerbsfähigkeit einerseits und individueller employability andererseits sowie lehr-lernpsychologische Begründungsmuster (Lernen als aktiver, konstruktiver Prozess) illustrieren exemplarisch die Relevanz selbstorganisierten Lernens in der beruflichen Bildung. Angesichts der Relevanz der Fragestellung erstaunt es indes, dass zur Frage, wie man selbstorganisiertes Lernen in der beruflichen Bildung realisieren und langfristig implementieren könnte, lediglich vereinzelte Forschungsbefunde vorliegen. In dem Beitrag wird der Ansatz des Selbstorganisierten Lernens (SoLe) vorgestellt, der von der Forschergruppe um SEMBILL seit 1992 entwickelt, in verschiedenen Settings in Hochschule, Schule sowie über virtuelle Lehr-Lern-Arrangements implementiert und im Rahmen einer Reihe von Forschungsprojekten empirisch evaluiert worden ist. Nach einer Darstellung der theoretischen Basis werden ausgewählte, im Kontext der beruflichen Bildung relevante Befunde der SoLe-Studien und deren Implikationen beschrieben. Der Beitrag skizziert zudem wesentliche Fragestellungen und zukünftige Arbeitsfelder für die weitere Erforschung und (unterrichts-)praktische Umsetzung des selbstorganisierten Lernens

Monolithically Integrated CMOS-Compatible III-V on Silicon Lasers

CMOS-compatible III–V lasers integrated on silicon are a crucial step to reduce power consumption and cost for next-generation optical transceivers. Here, we demonstrate a concept to co-integrate III-V lasers into a CMOS Silicon Photonics platform, in which lasers, photonics, and electronic circuitry share the same back end of line. Based on a bonded III–V epitaxial layer stack, ultra-thin laser devices, optically pumped lasing and coupling to silicon are demonstrated. Furthermore, we present all building blocks for electrically pumped laser devices.ISSN:1077-260