Terahertz repetition rate optical computing systems, and communication systems and logic elements using cross-phase modulation based optical processors

• US 5,373,381 A
• Filed: 12/12/1991
• Issued: 12/13/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Patrice Baldeck, Ping-Pei Ho, Robert R. Alfano
• Original Assignee: Patrice Baldeck, Ping-Pei Ho, Robert R. Alfano
• Inventors: Alfano, Robert R., Ho, Ping-Pei, Baldeck, Patrice
• Primary Examiner(s): Lerner, Martin
• Application Number:
  US07/806,170
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 359/107, 359/108, 359/180, 359/182, 359/183, 359/184, 359/186, 359/240, 359/299, 359/7, 359/300, 359/264, 359/330, 359/331, 359/332, 385/122, 356/349, 372/6, 372/21
• US Class Current: 359/108
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/293 by another light beam, i.e. opto-optical deflection
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/3511 Self-focusing or self-trapping of light; Light-induced birefringence; Induced optical Kerr-effect
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/3515 All-optical modulation, gating, switching, e.g. control of a light beam by another light beam G02F1/353, G02F1/37, G02F1/39 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2/004 Transferring the modulation of modulated light, i.e. transferring the information from one optical carrier of a first wavelength to a second optical carrier of a second wavelength, e.g. all-optical wavelength converter
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2/02 Frequency-changing of light, e.g. by quantum counters
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 3/00 Optical logic elements; Optical bistable devices

Abstract

Optical communication systems, optical computing systems and optical logic elements which rely on the phenomina of cross-phase modulation to alter and control, either or simultaneously, the spectral, temporal or/and spatial properties of ultrashort light pulses for processing information with high speed repetition rates. A weak beam of ultrashort light pulses is modulated by an intense beam of ultrashort light pulses by copropagating both beams through a non-linear medium such that cross-phase modulation effects are realized.

Claims

1. A method of temporally compressing a weak pulse of light comprising the steps of:

a) providing an intense pulse of a light that is different from the weak pulse;

b) combining the two pulses of light to produce a third pulse of light;

c) passing the third pulse of light through a non-linear material to produce a fourth pulse of light, said fourth pulse of light being a spectrally broadened version of said weak pulse produced by cross-phase modulation; and

d) delaying the shorter light wavelengths in said fourth pulse relative to the longer light wavelengths therewithin to produce a temporally compressed pulse.

2. An optical INVERTER for inverting of a first beam of light of weak pulses of a first frequency comprising:

a) a second beam of light of intense pulses of a second frequency,

b) means for combining the first and second beams of light to form a third beam;

c) a non-linear medium disposed along the path of the third beam, and

d) a filter for removing all light pulses passed by the non-linear medium other than those of said first frequency.

3. A method of angularly deflecting the pulses in a beam of ultrashort light pulses using cross-phase modulation, the pulses having a frequency fo, the method comprising:

a) providing a non linear medium,

b) copropagating the beam through the non-linear medium with a beam of ultrashort light pulses of greater intensity and a frequency fp and which is partially masked, wherein the intense beam will produce a spatial index of refraction change in the weak beam as a result of cross-phase modulation.