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US 7,068,894 B2Granted
All-optical wavelength converter based on Sagnac interferometer with an SOA at asymmetric position
AssigneeThe Trustees of Princeton University
InventorsPaul R. Prucnal, Ivan Glesk, Lei Xu, Varghese Baby
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Abstract
According to at least one embodiment, a system comprises a Sagnac interferometric loop and a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) located at an asymmetric position on that loop, wherein the Sagnac interferometric loop and the SOA are operable to perform signal conversion on an input signal.
Claims18
A system comprising:
- a Sagnac interferometric loop;
- a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) located at an asymmetric position on the loop;
- a first polarization controller located before an input to the loop and operable to adjust polarization of an input signal;
- and
- a second polarization controller located within the loop and operable to adjust loop birefringence;
- wherein the Sagnac interferometric loop and the SOA are operable to perform signal conversion on the input signal.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- receiving an optical input signal into a Sagnac interferometric loop, wherein the loop includes a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) located at an asymmetrical position on the loop;
- separating the optical input signal into a clockwise and a counterclockwise component in the loop, wherein each component reaches the SOA at a different time;
- adjusting polarization of the optical input signal prior to said receiving step;
- adjusting a loop birefringence, thereby tuning a phase bias of interference in the loop;
- and
- outputting an optical converted signal.
3 more elements
A system comprising:
- means for receiving an optical input signal into a Sagnac interferometric loop, wherein the loop includes a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) located at an asymmetrical position on the loop;
- means for separating the optical input signal into a clockwise and a counterclockwise component in the loop, wherein each component reaches the SOA at a different time;
- means for adjusting polarization of the input signal, wherein the means for adjusting polarization of the input signal is disposed before an input to the loop;
- means for adjusting a loop birefringence, thereby tuning a phase bias of interference in the loop;
- and
- means for outputting an optical converted signal.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.