title: Asynchronous, all-optical signal processing based on the self-frequency shift of a gigahertz Raman soliton.
abstract: Ultrafast asynchronous all-optical signal processing is experimentally demonstrated. It is based on the intensity-dependent, self-frequency shift of a gigahertz Raman soliton. We demonstrate error-free, asynchronous, all-optical, bit-by-bit, self-signal recognition and demultiplexing from contended optical packets without use of an optical buffer, control pulse, or bit-phase synchronization. Fourfold, contended, 9.95-Gbit/s optical packets are transmitted through a conventional repeater span of 80 km and simultaneously demultiplexed to multiwavelength 9.95-Gbit/s optical packets with 0.5-dB processing sensitivity. Furthermore, we successfully accomplish demultiplexing from overlapping signals in contended optical packets with better than 3-dB recognition sensitivity. We confirm the capability of realizing a 3x cascade operation from bit-error-rate measurements.
authors.affiliation: NTT Photonics Laboratories, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, 3-1 Morinosato, Wakamiya, Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0198, Japan. katom@aecl.ntt.co.jp
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujiura
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kurihara