An all-optical WDM-to-TDM conversion scheme with simultaneous all-optical synchronization for WDM/OTDM network nodes

Abstract

We present an all-optical WDM-to-TDM conversion scheme with simultaneous all-optical synchronization that can be utilized in switching nodes of very high-speed WDM/OTDM hybrid communication systems. The scheme, which utilizes a nonlinear optical loop mirror in conjunction with a synchronously modelocked semiconductor laser, is experimentally demonstrated by WDM-to-TDM conversion of two optical channels in a switching node. The optical time division multiplexed output has a potential total throughput of ≈40 Gb/s. This all-optical scheme removes limitations of restricted band-width of electronics at switching nodes and also has advantages over existing optical time division multiplexing scheme..