Active demodulation systems and methods for optical signals

A method of operating an optical signal receiver, the method comprising:

• receiving an optical signal at an optical resonator, the optical resonator including an active optical medium;
• exciting the active optical medium to generate an optical gain in the received optical signal by generating a pulsed pump beam with an optical pump source and directing the pulsed pump beam at the active optical medium;
• accumulating resonant optical signal energy in the active optical medium based at least in part on the received optical signal;
• emitting output optical signal energy from the optical resonator, an intensity of the output optical signal energy being based at least in part on an intensity of the accumulated resonant optical signal energy;
• disturbing the intensity of the output optical signal energy in response to a variation in a phase of the received optical signal;
• and
• detecting the disturbance in the intensity of the output optical signal energy,
• wherein the pulsed pump beam is synchronized with the received optical signal such that the disturbance in the intensity of the output optical signal energy occurs coincident with a pulse of the pulsed pump beam.

An optical signal receiver comprising:

• an optical resonator configured to receive an optical signal, the optical resonator including an active optical medium configured to accumulate resonant optical signal energy inside the optical resonator based at least in part on the received optical signal, and the optical resonator being further configured to emit output optical signal energy, wherein the optical resonator is configured to cause a variation in an intensity of the output optical signal energy in response to a variation in a phase of the received optical signal;
• a detector configured to detect the variation in the intensity of the output optical signal energy and to identify the variation in the phase of the received optical signal based at least in part on the variation in the intensity of the output optical signal energy;
• and
• a pump source coupled to the active optical medium and configured to direct a pulsed pump beam at the active optical medium to excite the active optical medium to generate an optical gain in the received optical signal, the pulsed pump beam being synchronized with the received optical signal such that the variation in the intensity of the output optical signal energy occurs coincident with a pulse of the pulsed pump beam.

An optical signal receiver comprising:

• an optical resonator configured to receive an optical signal, the optical resonator including an active optical medium having an absorption band and configured to accumulate resonant optical signal energy inside the optical resonator based at least in part on the received optical signal, and the optical resonator being further configured to emit output optical signal energy, wherein the optical resonator is configured to cause a variation in an intensity of the output optical signal energy in response to a variation in a phase of the received optical signal;
• a detector configured to detect the variation in the intensity of the output optical signal energy and to identify the variation in the phase of the received optical signal based at least in part on the variation in the intensity of the output optical signal energy;
• and
• an optical pump source coupled to the active optical medium and configured to direct a pump beam at the active optical medium to excite the active optical medium to generate an optical gain in the received optical signal, the pump beam having a wavelength tuned to the absorption band of the active optical medium.