US 2026/0118735 A1Published application

Purely Optical XOR Logic Gate with Comprising Materials

OwnerMark James Newland, Julieanne H Fisherinventors

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Abstract

A purely optical XOR gate is disclosed, implemented entirely within fiber optic channels and without any electrical control elements. Two digital data light inputs, A and B, are each amplified, split, and partially converted to higher-frequency control light via frequency doublers. The control light from each input is directed into a corresponding right-angle Data Light Extinguisher (DLE) intersecting the opposite channel, where it extinguishes simultaneous “1” pulses by inducing a waveguide cutoff through piezoelectric deformation. The remaining data light pulses, representing conditions where only A or only B is high, are combined into a single output channel. This architecture operates in parallel optical paths without reflections or high voltage, enabling high-speed, low-loss XOR logic entirely in the photonic domain.

Claims5

Dependent claims

A purely optical XOR logic gate comprising:

a first optical input channel (A) and a second optical input channel (B), each formed from a high-index fiber optic waveguide surrounded by lower-index cladding to maintain total internal reflection;
an optical amplifier positioned in each input channel to increase the power of incoming data light signals;
an optical splitter in each input channel configured to divide the data light into a primary path and a secondary path;
a frequency doubler in each secondary path configured to convert the data light signal into a control light signal having a frequency at least twice that of the corresponding data light signal;
a first right-angle Data Light Extinguisher (DLE) disposed in the primary path of input channel B, intersected at a right angle by the control light from the secondary path of input channel A, the first DLE configured to extinguish the data light in channel B when the control light is present;
a second right-angle DLE disposed in the primary path of input channel A, intersected at a right angle by the control light from the secondary path of input channel B, the second DLE configured to extinguish the data light in channel A when the control light is present;
an optical combiner for merging the outputs of the primary paths from both channels into a single output channel, such that the output channel carries a light signal only when exactly one of the input channels A or B carries a data light pulse.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.