All-Optical Response of Semiconductor Ring Laser to Dual-Optical Injections

The all-optical response of a semiconductor ring laser (SRL) to two optical injections is characterized. Once the lasing direction is locked by one optical injection, the SRL direction of operation can be switched by another optical injection into the counterpropagating direction. The switching process manifests a typical bistable hysteresis loop, with its width and switching thresholds variable by the first injection power. Extremely sharp transition has been measured which confirms the potential of the SRL for all-optical regeneration applications.     

全光交换关键技术—全光标签交换

对全光交换的优点进行了阐述,介绍了全光标签交换的节点结构,探讨了标签交换中采用的关键技术,如光标签的提取、光逐跳分配器和可调光波长转换器等。随着这些光逻辑器件的发展,全光标签交换必定是未来光交换技术的发展方向。     

Meeting the need for fiber-optic transmission speed

Review current OTDMA technology, with the emphasis on optical clock recovery and time demultiplexing. Various optical switching techniques are surveyed, and they are compared by taking account of the potential feasibility of engineering implementation. The architectures for OTDMA networks are described, and we look at all-optical clock recovery schemes that are based on traveling-wave (TW) semiconductor laser amplifiers, self-pulsating laser diodes, EO switches, mode locking of a fiber ring laser, and four-wave mixing (FWM). We also review various optical switching techniques for ultrafast time demultiplexing     

On polarization sensitivity of all-optical label swapping using synchronous phase modulation

Polarization sensitivity degrades the performance of many optical devices in optical packet switched networks. We investigate the polarization sensitivity for all-optical label swapping for the first time. We propose and demonstrate a polarization-insensitive phase modulator for all-optical label swapping. The polarization sensitivity of the power penalty for the label swapping is less than 0.3 dB.     

Simultaneous Data Regeneration and Digital Label Swapping in an SOA-MZI Device

We demonstrate all-optical regeneration of a 10-Gb/s data stream, with bit-error-rate improvement, simultaneously with digital label swapping, in a monolithically integrated semiconductor optical amplifier Mach–Zehnder interferometer device.      

All-Optical Processing Based on a Logic xor Gate and a Flip-Flop Memory for Packet-Switched Networks

The routing functionality by all-optically interconnecting semiconductor-based all-optical logic gates and flip-flops is demonstrated in the frame of an all-optical label swapping (AOLS) network. We experimentally show that the output of the all-optical 2-bit correlator is capable of toggling the states of the integrated flip-flop every 2.5 ns via an adaptation stage. High extinction ratios are obtained at the output of the flip-flop, which can be used to feed a high-speed wavelength converter to complete the routing functionality of the AOLS node. The potential integration of these semiconductor optical amplifier integrated Mach-Zehnder interferometer-based devices make the proposed approach a very interesting solution for future packet switched optical networks.     

160 Gb/s variable length packet/10 Gb/s-label all-optical label switching with wavelength conversion and unicast/multicast operation

We report on the first demonstration of all-optical label switching (AOLS) with 160 Gb/s variable length packets and 10 Gb/s optical labels. This result demonstrates the transparency of AOLS techniques from previously demonstrated 2.5 Gb/s to this 160 Gb/s demonstration using a common routing and packet lookup framework. Packet forwarding/conversion, optical label erasure/re-write and signal regeneration at 160 Gb/s is achieved using a WDM Raman enhanced all-optical fiber cross-phase modulation wavelength converter. It is also experimentally shown that this technique enables packet unicast and multicast operation at 160 Gb/s. The packet bit-error-rate is measured for all optical label switched 16 /spl times/ 10 Gb/s channels and error free operation is demonstrated after both label swapping and packet forwarding.     

A novel all-optical label swapping based on RZ-DQPSK/IRZ-ASK combined modulation format

A novel all-optical label swapping based on optical return zero (RZ) differential quadrature phase shifted keying/inverse return zero amplitude shifted keying (RZ-DQPSK/IRZ-ASK) combined modulation format scheme is investigated and analyzed theoretically. Internet protocol (IP) packets can be efficiently labeled and processed using this proposed scheme. Numerical simulation is taken to demonstrate the transmission characteristic of the all-optical label swapping based on RZ-DQPSK/IRZ-ASK modulation format. The transmission performance can be affected by the duty cycle of the IRZ pulse, the IRZ-ASK label extinction ratio, the dispersion compensation ratio, received optical power and the coupling coefficient of the coupler. Results show that the IRZ-ASK label extinction ratio is almost infinite and preferable performance is obtained. The proposed scheme is a practical solution to meet the data rate and cost-efficient of the optical links simultaneously in tomorrow's all-optical label swapping.     

Characterization of All-Optical Regeneration Potentials of a Bistable Semiconductor Ring Laser

All-optical pulse reamplification, reshaping (2R), and retiming (3R) using a monolithic bistable semiconductor ring laser (SRL) is demonstrated for the first time. The regeneration performance of the SRL is characterized with an all-optical settable switching threshold, achieving significant increases in the extinction ratio (ER) of the output pulse for input ER as low as 1 dB. For retiming, a rectangular retiming window generated by a clean clock signal is used to eliminate the timing jitter in the input pulse. For input pulse with peak-to-peak timing jitter as high as $sim {hbox {12}}%$ of the bit period, the timing jitter in the retimed output pulse is reduced to $ ≪ 2%$ of the bit period. The pulsewidth of the final regenerated data can be controlled by changing the width of the retiming window. The SRL is, therefore, shown to have a “hard” digital performance in both amplitude and time domain suitable for all-optical 3R.      

Experimental demonstration and analysis of all-optical label swapping based on RZ-DQPSK/IRZ-ASK modulation format

A novel optical return zero differential quadrature phase shifted keying/inverse return zero amplitude shifted keying(RZ-DQPSK/IRZ-ASK) orthogonal modulation format scheme for all-optical label swapping is analyzed theoretically and experimentally.The transmission characteristics of RZ-DQPSK/IRZ-ASK modulation format transmission system are demonstrated.Results show that high extinction ratio is obtained for IRZ-ASK label signal while at the same time the all-optical label swapping,differential quadrature p...     

Ultrafast all-optical modulation of infrared radiation viametal-semiconductor waveguide structures

We present a novel optical-optical semiconductor switching technique for application to infrared laser beam modulation and ultrashort infrared laser pulse switching. This method relies on the ultrafast optical excitation, with femtosecond above-bandgap laser radiation, of an air-filled metal-clad semiconductor waveguide. Guided electromagnetic wave analysis combined with time-varying dielectric properties of the semiconductor layer are used to investigate the ultrafast switching speed of the structure. The device is capable of modulation at various infrared wavelengths. In particular, we investigate intensity modulation of the quasi-TE₁₀ mode for 10.6-μm laser radiation. At an electron-hole photoinjection density of ~1.8×10¹⁸ cm^-3, an extinction ratio of 83 dB is demonstrated. This ratio is significantly higher than that exhibited by current optical-optical semiconductor switches. Potential applications to all-optical Mach-Zehnder metal-clad semiconductor modulators and self-limiting switches are also discussed     

Modulation Bandwidth Enhancement in Optical Injection-Locked Semiconductor Ring Laser

The modulation bandwidth of a optical injection-locked (OIL) master–slave configuration using a semiconductor ring laser (SRL) as the slave laser is investigated. The modulation bandwidth depends on the detuning frequency, input optical power into the slave SRL, and the bias current to the SRL in the master–slave configuration. Modulation bandwidth of $> $40 GHz has been achieved when modulating the master laser, in contrast to the 15-GHz modulation bandwidth of the free-running SRL. The unidirectional operation of the SRL as a slave laser allows monolithic integration of such OIL scheme as it produces little feedback to the master laser.      

Dynamic Switching Response of Semiconductor Ring Lasers to NRZ and RZ Injection Signals

Dynamic response of semiconductor ring lasers (SRLs) to external optical injection with nonreturn-to-zero (NRZ) and return-to-zero (RZ) waveforms is investigated using a model including linear and nonlinear mode coupling. The switching characteristics are simulated under various device sizes, injection power levels, and frequency detuning. For NRZ, the switching time reduces with decreasing SRL radius, which has a reasonable agreement with the current experimental results. It is also demonstrated that RZ pulse with duration of several picoseconds can reliably switch 6-mum radius SRL over a detuning range of more than 100 GHz, with the end state self-sustained after switching.     

Monolithically integrated 40-gb/s switchable wavelength converter

An all-optical switchable wavelength-converting module at 40 Gb/s line rate is demonstrated in a fully integrated InP chip. The device combines a semiconductor optical amplifier-based wavelength converter and a fast-tunable multifrequency laser. Sub-nanosecond switching among the eight channels of the integrated laser is shown, and error-free operation of the wavelength conversion process at 40 Gb/s for each wavelength is demonstrated. The applications of fast switching wavelength conversion for optical switching and packet routing are discussed.     

Generation and wavelength switching of picosecond pulses by optically modulating a semiconductor optical amplifier in a fiber laser with optical delay line

A novel actively mode-locked fiber laser having a semiconductor optical amplifier playing the roles of both a gain element and an optically controlled mode-locker and eight cascaded fiber Bragg gratings playing the role of the wavelength selecting element is proposed and demonstrated. Stable amplitude equalized pulse trains with a pulsewidth about 43 ps at 2.5 GHz have been obtained by injecting optical control signals into the laser. Wavelength switching among eight wavelengths is achieved by merely tuning an intracavity optical delay line. This all-optical generation and wavelength-switching scheme should be useful in applications where picosecond pulse trains at high repetition rates are desired.     

All-optical address extraction for optical routing

This paper describes the optical circuit that enables to extract address from a transmitted cell in an all-optical manner. Nonlinear optical loop mirrors (NOLM's) are used as all-optical switches in order to confirm the operation of the proposed circuit. The control pulses synchronized with address bits are generated from the transmitted cell. The address bits are successfully extracted without any electronic control circuit. The factors that limit an attainable bit rate are discussed. If we use NOLM composed of a 2-km-long fiber, 110 Gb/s is attainable for the 4 ps FWHM input pulse with RZ format     

Optical-Logic-Gate Aided Packet-Switching in Transparent Optical Networks

The objective of this research is to propose two new optical procedures for packet routing and forwarding in the framework of transparent optical networks. The single-wavelength label-recognition and packet-forwarding unit, which represents the central physical constituent of the switching node, is fully described in both cases. The first architecture is a hybrid opto-electronic structure relying on an optical serial-to- parallel converter designed to slow down the label processing. The remaining switching operations are done electronically. The routing system remains transparent for the packet payloads. The second architecture is an all-optical architecture and is based on the implementation of all-optical decoding of the parallelized label. The packet-forwarding operations are done optically. The major subsystems required in both of the proposed architectures are described on the basis of nonlinear effects in semiconductor optical amplifiers. The experimental results are compatible with the integration of the whole architecture. Those subsystems are a 4-bit time-to-wavelength converter, a pulse extraction circuit, a an optical wavelength generator, a 3$,times,$8 all-optical decoder and a packet envelope detector.      

Ultrafast all-optical pattern matching using differential spin excitation and its application to bypass/drop self-routing for asynchronous optical packets

This paper presents a novel scheme for ultrafast all-optical pattern matching using the differential spin excitation in semiconductor multiple quantum wells (MQWs). In a demonstration of an all-optical pattern matching between two 100-Gb/s 16-bit optical packets, the contrast ratio of the photodiode (PD) output from the pattern matcher, between the pattern matched and the pattern-unmatched cases, was more than four for packets with a 2-dB power fluctuation. As an application of the pattern matcher to optical-packet-switched ring networks, bypass/drop self-routing is demonstrated for asynchronous 100-Gb/s 32-bit optical packets with 8-bit labels. In the experiment, a label of an incoming packet was compared to a local address (LA) given to a node in the optical domain. By changing the pattern of the LA packet instead of that of the incoming packet, the pattern matching was carried out for packets with various kinds of patterns. The contrast ratio of the PD output was more than six for all patterns.     

STOLAS: switching technologies for optically labeled signals

GMPLS-based labeled optical burst switching (LOBS) networks are being considered as the next-generation optical Internet. GMPLS includes wavelength switching next to label and fiber (space) switching. We present a new concept of optically labeling bursts of packets suitable for LOBS networks supported by GMPLS. It is based on angle modulation, which enables control information to modulate the phase or frequency of the optical carrier, while payload data are transmitted via intensity modulation (IM). In particular, the optical label is orthogonally modulated, with respect to the payload, using either frequency shift keying or differential phase shift keying. We present a performance analysis of the modulation schemes by means of simulations where the influence of the payload IM extinction ratio and laser linewidth are investigated. In addition, the transmission performance of an IM/FSK combined modulated signal is experimentally validated at 10 Gb/s, demonstrating at the same time an FSK label swapping operation. Finally, a suitable optical label-controlled switch design is proposed that takes advantage of these novel labeling techniques, and efficiently combines widely tunable, fast switching lasers and SOA-MZI wavelength converters with an arrayed waveguide grating router.     

Optical-signal-processing device based on waveguide-type variable delay lines and optical gates

In this paper, an optical-signal-processing device mainly designed for time-slot switching is demonstrated. The device is composed of variable delay-line arrays fabricated by planar lightwave circuit technology and high-speed optical gates. The variable delay-line arrays consist of transversal-form or lattice-form optical circuits. The operating principle is based on serial-to-parallel conversion, adjustment of the delay time between the parallel signals, and the gating of the optical bits or packets in the optical region. The device does not require any interaction between lightwaves through optical nonlinear effects or filter banks for code matching. As an example of its operation, label-processing functions are demonstrated, specifically the label swapping of optical return-to-zero pulses. The merits of the proposed device are described and problems that must be solved are also discussed.