Abstract

All-optical demultiplexing and routing are necessary for the implementation of ultra-high bit rate time-division multiplexed communications systems. While existing electro-optic demultiplexers can be operated at extremely high speeds with sinusoidal drive signals [1], there is much interest in developing systems which can switch out arbitrary patterns of pulses from a data stream. If the pulses can be completely switched out, these systems could be used in signal routing applications. The wide bandwidth of all-optical devices based on the nonlinear Kerr effect in fibers should support this mode of switching at Gb/s rates and beyond. This experiment is a demonstration of such an arbitrary, all-optical demultiplexer/router which does not require a special pulse format (e.g. solitons), which is tolerant of environmental changes and which is insensitive to timing errors between the signal and control pulses. The approach used is not wavelength- dependent and can be made insensitive to the input polarization states.

© 1991 Optical Society of America