Hybrid WDM-TDM optical communication and data link

• US 20020021462A1
• Filed: 07/13/2001
• Published: 02/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Central Florida (State University System of Florida)
• Original Assignee: University of Central Florida (State University System of Florida)
• Inventors: Mathason, Brian, Delfyett, Peter J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,647,031 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/75
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/065 Mode locking; Mode suppression; Mode selection ; Self pulsating
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0657 Mode locking, i.e. generation of pulses at a frequency corresponding to a roundtrip in the cavity
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4062 with an external cavity or using internal filters, e.g. Talbot filters
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4087 emitting more than one wavelength

Abstract

A hybrid WDM-TDM optical link employing a hybrid modelocked multi-wavelength semiconductor which provides approximately 4 to approximately 20 wavelength channels that makes possible modulated multiplexed data which when demultiplexed by ultra fast optical demultiplexing provides rates suitable for conventional electronic photo receivers. The link uses single-stripe GaAs/AlGaAs semiconductor optical amplifiers which simultaneously generate from approximately four to more than approximately twenty tunable WDM channels. Diode laser can also include InP, InGaAlP, InGaAsP, InGaP, InGaAs. A four channel version transmits approximately 12 picosecond pulses at approximately 2.5 GHz for an aggregate pulse rate of 100 GHz. When generating approximately 20 wavelength channels, each transmitting approximately 12 picosecond pulses at a rate of approximately 600 MHz, there is provided optical data and transmission systems operating at rates in excess of 800 Gbits/s.

Claims

1. An ultra-high speed optical data transmission system comprising:

a laser source for generating multiwavelengths;

means for actively modelocking the laser source;

means for simultaneously generating up to approximately 20 wavelength channels from the laser source;

means for multiplexing the channels; and

means for demultiplexing said channels including an all optical clock recovery oscillator in conjunction with an ultrafast nonlinear optical loop.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the simultaneous generating means includes:

generating approximately four to approximately twenty channels for an optical WDM (wavelength division multiplexed) and TDM (time division multiplexed) data transmitter.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for optically amplifying the multiplexed channels; and

means for receiving the demultiplexed channels.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the laser source includes:

a single stripe semiconductor diode laser.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a means for data modulating each frequency of the multiwavelength channels whereby resulting data is transmitted in an R-Z data format.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the loop includes:

a semiconductor optical amplifier as a nonlinear element as the demultiplexer.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the oscillator is based on a passively modelocked semiconductor diode laser.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the diode laser includes:

Ga As.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the diode laser includes:

AlGaAs.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the wavelength channels each include:

approximately 12 picosecond pulses at a rate of approximately 600 MHz.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the channels include:

a spacing between approximately 0.8 nm and approximately 2.1 nm.

12. The system of claim 2, wherein a portion of the optical power of the WDM-TDM transmitter is used to injection lock the modelocked diode laser.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for operating the system at rates of greater than approximately 800 Gbits per second.

15. The method for transmitting data of claim 14, wherein the wavelength channels each include:

approximately 12 picosecond pulses at a rate of approximately 600 MHz.

16. The method for transmitting data of claim 14, wherein each of the channels include:

a spacing between approximately 0.8nm and approximately 2.1 nm.

17. The method for transmitting data of claim 14, wherein the data rates are than approximately 800 Gbits per second.

18. The method for transmitting data of claim 14, further including the steps of:

switching and routing the multiple wavelength channels simultaneously.

19. The method for transmitting data of claim 14, further including the steps of:

switching and routing the multiple wavelength channels in parallel.

20. The method for transmitting data of claim 14, further including the steps of:

processing the multiple wavelength channels in parallel.

21. The system of claim 4, wherein the diode laser includes:

InP.

22. The system of claim 4, wherein the diode laser includes:

InGaAl.

23. The system of claim 4, wherein the diode laser includes:

InGaAs.

24. The system of claim 12, wherein the injection locked passive modelocked laser creates control pulses for switching.

25. The system of claim 12, wherein the injection locked passive modelocked laser creates control pulses for demultiplexing.

14. A method for transmitting ultra-high speed optical data comprising the steps of:

generating multiwavelengths from a laser source;

modelocking the laser source;

simultaneously generating up to approximately 20 wavelength channels from the source;

multiplexing the channels; and

demultiplexing the channels with an optical clock recovery oscillator and an ultrafast nonlinear optical loop, wherein data is transmitted in an ultra-high speed rate.