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Optics Letters

Remote optical control of an optical flip-flop

Drew N. Maywar, Kevin P. Solomon, Govind Prasad Agrawal

Published Nov 2, 2007• 13 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We experimentally demonstrate control of a holding-beam-enabled optical flip-flop by means of optical signals that act in a remote fashion. These optical-control signals vary the holding-beam power by means of cross-gain modulation within a remotely located semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). The power-modulated holding beam then travels through a resonant-type SOA, where flip-flop action occurs as the holding-beam power falls above and below the switching thresholds of the bistable hysteresis. Control is demonstrated using submilliwatt pulses whose wavelengths are not restricted to the vicinity of the holding beam. Benefits of remote control include the potential for controlling multiple flip-flops with a single pair of optical signals and for realizing all-optical control of any holding-beam-enabled flip-flop.

DOI
10.1364/ol.32.003260

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•Feb 13, 2006•0 citations
We experimentally demonstrate control of a holding-beam-enabled optical flip-flop by means of optical signals that act in a remote fashion. These optical-control signals vary the holding-beam power by means of cross-gain modulation within a remotely located semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). The power-modulated holding beam then travels through a resonant-type SOA, where flip-flop action occurs as the holding-beam power falls above and below the switching thresholds of the bistable hysteresis. Control is demonstrated using submilliwatt pulses whose wavelengths are not restricted to the vicinity of the holding beam. Benefits of remote control include the potential for controlling multiple flip-flops with a single pair of optical signals and for realizing all-optical control of any holding-beam-enabled flip-flop.
An all-optical flip-flop, the memory of which is based on dispersive bistability in a single vertical cavity semiconductor optical amplifier, is demonstrated experimentally. Flip-flop control is achieved using two mechanisms: cross-phase modulation to set the flip-flop and cross-gain modulation of the holding beam within a remote SOA to reset it. Optical control signals are sub-milliwatt in power and derived from a single 5 ns, 1539 nm initial pulse. Flip-flop operation at 1542 nm is polarisation insensitive to control signals and achieved with an on-off contrast greater than 3 dB.
We describe the principle of operation of an all-optical flip-flop based on dispersive bistability in a distributed feedback semiconductor optical amplifier. Cross-phase modulation controls the photonic bandgap and Bragg resonances of the amplifier, thereby shifting the hysteresis and switching thresholds to higher or lower powers. We give the details of a simple theoretical model that is used to simulate the set and reset operations. We also experimentally investigate the dependence on set-signal power and the response to back-to-back set signals, and we apply the theoretical model to understand these experimental results.
Switching of a signal beam by another control beam at different wavelength is demonstrated experimentally using the optical bistability occurring in a 1.55 µm-distributed feedback semiconductor optical amplifier (DFBSOA) working in reflection. Counterclockwise (S-shaped) and reverse (clockwise) bistability are observed in the output of the control and the signal beam respectively, as the power of the input control signal is increased. With this technique an optical signal can be set in either of the optical input wavelengths by appropriate choice of the powers of the input signals. The switching properties of the DFBSOA are studied experimentally as the applied bias current is increased from below to above threshold and for different levels of optical power in the signal beam and different wavelength detunings between both input signals. Higher on-off extinction ratios, wider bistable loops and lower input power requirements for switching are obtained when the DFBSOA is operated slightly above its threshold value.
We have demonstrated for the first time an all-optical flip-flop based on optical bistability of an integrated SOA/DFB-SOA by applying an input signal with the period of 25.2 ns. An all-optical flip-flop based on optical bistability is expected to process the signal at an ultra-high speed in a light-wave communication. All-optical flip-flop has various applications such as all optical memory, demultiplexing, packet-header buffering, and retiming. Moreover, an integrated SOA/DFBSOA can perform all-optical logic operation and wavelength conversion by cross gain modulation.
Switching of a signal beam by another control beam at different wavelength is demonstrated experimentally using the optical bistability occurring in a 1.55 mm-distributed feedback semiconductor optical amplifier (DFBSOA) working in reflection. Counterclockwise (S-shaped) and reverse (clockwise) bistability are observed in the output of the control and the signal beam respectively, as the power of the input control signal is increased. With this technique an optical signal can be set in either of the optical input wavelengths by appropriate choice of the powers of the input signals. The switching properties of the DFBSOA are studied experimentally as the applied bias current is increased from below to above threshold and for different levels of optical power in the signal beam and different wavelength detunings between both input signals. Higher on-off extinction ratios, wider bistable loops and lower input power requirements for switching are obtained when the DFBSOA is operated slightly above its threshold value.