Analog to digital converters (ADC) are essential components to enhance performance of numerous equipment and systems, for both civilian and military applications. As the sampling rate of electronic ADCs will be particularly capped by sampling signal jitter (100 fs to the state of the art), optical approaches are studied to take advantage of much lower jitter obtained using laser pulses (fs or less). This ADC Poly proposal aims to demonstrate the feasibility of an innovative solution based on the use of an optical deflector, realized by using integrated optics technology. The deflector is the central component of an all-optical ADC that, ultimately, could be capable to sample at a very high rate of 40 Giga samples per second with a resolution of 6 bits or more, which could be then one of the best performances obtained with photonic ADCs. The demonstrator aimed in this project will consist of a deflector, based on an optical leaky waveguide made of electro-optic polymers (EO), capable of addressing a coding mask with 8 resolved lines (3 bits). The leakage angle is controlled by the voltage to be digitized which is applied to the driving electrodes. Active integrated optical components based on EO polymers, modulators for example, usually operate with a microstrip electrode on the EO polymer guide, ensuring an optimal overlap integral between optical and electrical waves. In the case of the deflector, the light leaks from the top of the optical waveguide, making this topology inoperative, so the driving electrode must be located laterally, on both sides of the optical waveguide, and additionally buried, to optimize this overlap. The first challenge of the project is therefore to develop a new technological fabrication process, more complex than those commonly used and to validate the behavior of the EO structure. The buried and laterally placed poling electrodes requested by our design do not allow using the usual poling scheme for chromophores. So, a microwave filter solution is proposed to enable both DC and microwave operation of electrodes. The leaky optical field, distributed along the waveguide, must be collected and focused in the detection plane. The second challenge is then to design an appropriate superstrate over the leaky waveguide as well as micro-optical elements to collect and focus the leaky lightwave. A task is specifically dedicated to the integrated design of the whole structure, optical and microwave parts, of the deflector, as well as the micro-optical components aiming collecting the leakage beam. The fabrication task is divided into several stages. At first, passive waveguides will be made, then phase modulators with the driving electrodes at the same level as the optical waveguide. The characterization of these intermediate components allows to determine the parameters requested for the optimization of the leak waveguide design for the deflector.

The past several decades have been marked by the exponential growth of computer-generated data and related information processing. Such growth continues now, e.g. with the deployment of gigabit internet and 4G wireless networks, and will likely be accelerated by emerging technologies such as robotics, biotechnology, and distributed sensor networks. Given the inevitable end of scaling of conventional semiconductor circuits and increasing energy-use awareness, alternative ways to allow for information processing in an energy efficient fashion must be developed: Nanotechnologies open the way to new computing paradigms and circuits that could replace the actual technology based on Von Neumann architecture and CMOS devices. The aim of this project is to develop hardware systems of memristive nanodevices for neuro-inspired computing. Different promising ideas have been proposed for alternative computing solutions based on bio-inspired computing paradigm, such as perceptron, associative memory or Bayesian inference. These propositions are particularly promising for classification, recognition or anticipation tasks, which are hardly implement in conventional computers. If theoretical works are already available for estimation of performances and functionalities demonstration, experimental realization of these computing systems represent a challenge with high impact potentiality. The recent proposition of memristance by D. Strukov based on RRAM technology offers a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between theory and experiment by providing simple two terminal nanodevices that could match the requirement in terms of memory density and parallel interconnect for such circuits. I propose in this project an approach based on the development in parallel of (i) a specific technology for neuro-inspired computing - more precisely, the successful technology will implement the synaptic operation by coupling analog memory (or multistate resistance) and plasticity properties (i.e. tuning of memory volatility) – and (ii) the realization of hybrid circuits for neuro-inspired function demonstration and evaluation. These hybrid circuits will be built with hardware integrated nanodevices and Integrated Circuit breadboarding. This approach is directly compatible with hybrid CMOS/nanodevices circuit development that is envisioned for such neuro-inspired systems. If successful, such approach would allow orders of magnitude energy savings in information processing and enable more functional electronics.

<< Objectives >>The project seeks to promote environmental awareness and sustainable development in higher education institutions to contribute to the achievement of national greenhouse gas reduction targets. It aims to enhance stakeholders' awareness of environmentally friendly practices in teaching, learning, and student/staff mobility in order to reduce the carbon footprint of higher education institutions.<< Implementation >>-Reviewing existing carbon footprint calculation tools and develop a common assessment tool-Calculating carbon footprint in the 4 partner universities -Sustainability awareness study-Curriculum and Module development- from teaching and learning to emission neutrality-Computing CO2 related with students and staff travels-Predicting several scenarios, relating teaching methods with carbon footprint-Student and Staff Involvement-Summer school (with a minimal carbon footprint)<< Results >>- New modules– from teaching and learning to emission neutrality- Turnkey and low-carbon lectures and learning activities related to sustainable development, especially regarding the topic “Carbon Footprint estimation”- A measurement tool for academic carbon footprint, used to ass the participating universities scores, as well methods to continuously improve this score- A collection of sharable best practices for universities related to teaching, carrying out research, staff, student mobility