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US 2002/0163645 A1Published application
All-optical bit phase sensing
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology, a Massachusetts corporation
InventorsKatherine L. Hall, Kristin A. Rauschenbach
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Abstract
All-optical bit phase sensors that utilize nonlinear interferometers are described. An all-optical bit phase sensor that utilizes an optical fiber and a detector optically coupled to the core of the fiber, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the core, is described. In addition, an electrooptic bit phase sensor that utilizes a semiconductor diode and an electrical detector electrically coupled to the active layer is described. Electrooptical and all-optical phase lock loops, optical processors, and optical networks that utilize these bit phase sensing are also described.
Claims44
An all-optical bit phase sensor comprising:
- a) a first optical beam input;
- b) a splitter optically coupled to the first optical beam input, the splitter separating an input optical beam into a first and a second optical beam propagating along a first and a second optical path respectively;
- c) a nonlinear material positioned in the first optical path, the nonlinear material having an intensity dependent phase or transmissions change;
- d) a control optical beam input coupled to the first optical path, the control optical beam input couples a control optical beam into the first optical path causing nonlinear index or transmission changes in the nonlinear material;
- and
- e) a recombiner coupled to the first and second optical paths, the recombiner recombining the first and the second optical beams into an output beam, an intensity of the output beam being proportional to the relative phase between the input optical beam and the control beam.
3 more elements
An all-optical bit phase sensor comprising:
- a) a first optical beam input, the first optical beam input introducing a first optical beam into an optical path;
- b) an optical differential delay element disposed in the optical path, the differential optical delay element forming a second optical beam in the optical path by delaying a portion of the first optical beam in time;
- c) a nonlinear material disposed in the optical path, the nonlinear material having an intensity dependent phase or transmission change;
- d) a second input, the second input introducing a control beam causing nonlinear index changes in the nonlinear material;
- and
- e) a recombiner, the recombiner recombining the first and the second optical beams into an output beam, an intensity of the output beam being proportional to the relative phase between the first optical beam and the control beam.
3 more elements
An electrooptic phase lock loop comprising:
- a) a nonlinear interferometer having a first optical beam input, a control optical beam input, and an optical beam output, an output optical beam having an intensity proportional to a phase difference between an input intensity modulated data stream input to the first optical beam input and a control clock stream input to the control optical beam input;
- b) a feedback control network having an optical input optically coupled to the optical beam output of the interferometer and an electrical output, the electrical output generating a signal in response to the intensity of the output optical beam of the interferometer;
- and
- c) an optical clock stream generator having an electrical input electrically coupled to the electrical output of the feedback control network and an optical output optically coupled to the control optical beam input of the nonlinear interferometer, the optical output of the optical clock stream generator producing an optical beam having a frequency that is proportional to the electrical output of the feedback control network.
1 more element
An all-optical phase lock loop comprising:
- a) a nonlinear interferometer having a first optical beam input, a control optical beam input, and an optical beam output, an output optical beam having an intensity proportional to a phase difference between an input optical beam input to the first optical beam input and a control optical clock stream input the control optical input;
- b) a feedback control network having an optical input optically coupled to the optical beam output of the interferometer and an optical output, the optical output produces an optical beam in response to the intensity of the output optical beam of the interferometer;
- and
- c) an optical clock stream generator having an optical input optically coupled to the optical output of the feedback control network and an optical output optically coupled to the control optical beam input of the nonlinear interferometer, the optical output of the optical clock stream generator producing an optical beam having a frequency that is proportional to the optical output of the feedback control network.
1 more element
An optical processor for simultaneous clock recovery and processing functions comprising:
- a) a nonlinear interferometer comprising:
- i) a first input for accepting an input optical beam;
- ii) a second input for accepting a control optical beam;
- iii) a first output for generating a first output optical beam, the first output optical beam having an intensity functionally related to the input optical beam and the control optical beam;
- and
- iv) a second output for generating a second optical beam functionally related to the input optical beam and the control optical beam;
- b) a feedback control network having an optical input optically coupled to the first output of the interferometer and an output, the output produces a signal having a magnitude functionally related to the intensity of the output of the interferometer;
- and
- c) an optical beam generator having an input coupled to the output of the feedback control network and an optical output optically coupled to the second input of the nonlinear interferometer, the optical output of the optical beam generator producing an optical clock stream having a frequency that is proportional to the output of the feedback control network.
6 more elements
An optical network comprising:
- a) at least one network optical fiber;
- and
- b) a clock recovery system optically coupled to the at least one network optical fiber, the clock recovery system comprising:
- i) a nonlinear interferometer having a first input optically coupled to the at least one network optical fiber, a second input, and an output;
- ii) an optical pulse generator having an electrical input and an optical output optically coupled to the second input of the nonlinear interferometer;
- and
- iii) a feedback control network having an input optically coupled to the output of the nonlinear interferometer and having an output electrically coupled to the electrical input of the optical pulse generator, a frequency of an optical beam produced by the optical pulse generator being proportional to the output of the feedback control network.
4 more elements
An all-optical bit phase sensor comprising:
- a) an optical fiber having a core, the fiber includes a first and a second input, the first and second input introducing a first and a second overlapping pulse stream, respectively into the core;
- and
- b) a detector positioned perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the core and optically coupled to the core.
An optical network comprising:
- a) at least one network optical fiber;
- and
- b) a clock recovery system optically coupled to the at least one network optical fiber comprising:
- i) an optical fiber having a core, the fiber includes a first input coupled to the at least one network optical fiber and a second input, the first and second inputs introducing a first and a second overlapping optical pulse stream into the core;
- ii) an optical pulse generator optically coupled to the second input for generating the second optical pulse stream;
- iii) a detector having an electrical output, the detector is optically coupled to the core;
- and
- iv) a feedback control network having an input optically coupled to the output of the detector and having an output electrically coupled to the optical pulse generator.
5 more elements
An all-optical bit phase sensor comprising:
- a) a semiconductor diode having an active layer, the diode includes a first and a second input, the first and second input introducing a first and a second overlapping pulse stream, respectively into the active layer;
- and
- b) a detector electrically coupled to the active layer.
An optical network comprising:
- a) at least one network optical fiber;
- and
- b) a clock recovery system optically coupled to the at least one network optical fiber comprising:
- i) a semiconductor diode having an active layer, the diode includes a first and a second input, the first and second input introducing a first and a second overlapping pulse stream, respectively into the active layer;
- ii) an optical pulse generator optically coupled to the second input for generating the second optical pulse stream;
- iii) a detector having an electrical output electrically coupled to the active layer;
- and
- iv) a feedback control network having an input electrically coupled to the output of the detector and having an output electrically coupled to the optical pulse generator.
5 more elements
A method of all-optical bit phase sensing comprising:
- a) splitting an input optical beam into a first and a second optical beam propagating along a first and a second optical path respectively;
- b) providing a nonlinear material positioned in the first optical path, the nonlinear material having an intensity dependent phase or transmission change;
- c) coupling the control optical beam into the first optical path causing nonlinear index changes in the nonlinear material;
- and
- d) recombining the first and second optical beams into an output beam, an intensity of the output beam being proportional to the relative phase between the input optical beam and the control beam.
2 more elements
A method of all-optical bit phase sensing comprising:
- a) introducing a first optical beam into an optical path;
- b) forming a second optical beam in the optical path by delaying a portion of the first optical beam in time;
- c) providing a nonlinear material disposed in the optical path, the nonlinear material having an intensity dependent phase or transmission change;
- d) introducing a control beam into the optical path causing nonlinear index changes in the nonlinear material;
- and
- e) recombining the first and the second optical beams into an output beam, an intensity of the output beam being proportional to the relative phase between the first optical beam and the control beam.
3 more elements
A method of all-optical bit phase sensing comprising:
- a) providing an optical fiber having a core, the fiber includes a first and a second input;
- b) introducing a first and a second overlapping pulse stream into the first and the second input of the optical fiber, respectively;
- and
- c) detecting light emitted through the core.
1 more element
A method of electrooptical bit phase sensing comprising:
- a) providing a semiconductor diode having an active layer, a first input, and a second input;
- b) introducing a first and a second overlapping pulse stream into the first and the second input of the active layer, respectively;
- and
- c) detecting a voltage across the active layer that proportional to the first and a second overlapping pulse stream.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.