Abstract

Contemporary all-optical demultiplexers can convert data-streams from rates of typically 100 Gb/s to 6.3 Gb/s, equivalent to 1 in 16 channel selection [1-3]. A wide range of techniques to achieve all-optical demultiplexing have been reported [1] which have a variety of applications in communication systems. These applications include receiver front-ends in long-haul transmission systems [2] and high-throughput network gateways [4]. However, the use of all-optical demultiplexing in peripheral network equipment, operating at low data rates, is rare [5]. In peripheral equipment these demultiplexers should function as selectors, with the ability to select any (authorized) channel from the input data-stream.

© 1997 Optical Society of America