Time slot tunable all-optical packet data demultiplexer

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention generally relates to all-optical demultiplexers and interferometers used for demultiplexing data.

#Conventional wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) systems efficiently use bandwidth in existing fiber-optic telecommunication infrastructures. Such systems provide point-to-point optical transmission at high aggregate rates (>100 Gb/s) without compromising on high performance. Future requirements of digital communication networks indicate that increased data-rate capacity is critical to a service provider's success in the market. Ultimately, all-optical networks will replace today's optical/electrical networks that suffer from the bottlenecking effects of optical-to-electrical-to-optical conversions due to the limited capacity of electronic devices. Devices that can optically process data without converting it to an electronic format are essential to this network capacity evolution.

#The following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention would be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the present invention, there are shown in the drawings embodiments which are presently preferred. However, the present invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawings:

#FIG. 1 shows a hybrid all-optical packet data demultiplexer chip (normally on) with a single adjustable time delay in accordance with the present invention;

#FIG. 2 shows a hybrid all-optical packet data demultiplexer chip (normally on) with multiple adjustable time delays in accordance with the present invention;

#1. Overview

#FIG. 1 shows an all-optical demultiplexer 100 in semiconductor hybrid form in accordance with the present invention. The all-optical demultiplexer 100 comprises first and second arms 102, 104, each arm having a nonlinear optical element 106, 108, respectively, for receiving a data stream from data packet input 110. All-optical demultiplexer 100 also includes time delay element 112 having an adjustable time delay value τc. The time delay element 112 is adjusted as desired to determine which individual bits or groups of bits in the data stream are suppressed. All other bits are outputted from selected data output 114. A clocking signal (control pulse signal) is fed into clocking signal input 116 to control the state of nonlinear optical elements 106, 108. The first and second arms 102, 104 in which nonlinear optical elements 106, 108 are inserted may constitute a Mach-Zehnder configuration. The nonlinear optical elements 106, 108 may be semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs).

#FIG. 2 shows an all-optical demultiplexer 200 in semiconductor hybrid form in accordance with the present invention. The all-optical demultiplexer 200 is similar to that shown in FIG. 1, with the exception that the all-optical demultiplexer 200 has two additional time delay elements 202, 204, each having an adjustable time delay value τc. The time delay values τc of time delay elements 112, 202, 204 are varied to delay input signals that control the states of the nonlinear optical elements 106, 108. The adjustment of the time delay values τc associated with the time delay elements 112, 202, 204 may be carried out to handle different demultiplexing requirements. Each requirement may use a different data stream reading application.