Optical RAM devices and architectures: A way to solve the “Memory Wall” problem?

Optical RAM appears to be the alternative approach towards overcoming the “Memory Wall” of electronics, suggesting the use of light in RAM cell mechanisms to enable memory access times in the psec-regime. In this paper we present our recent work on optical RAM cell configurations relying on SOA-based switching and latching elements. We review both their experimental and theoretical framework and discuss on the new architectural perspectives in RAM encoding/decoding structures by introducing the WDM principles in the storage area.