Optical device and circuit using phase modulation and related methods
First Claim
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1. A method comprising the steps of:
- a) receiving a first optical signal at a first pathway defined in a photonic bandgap (PBG) element, the PBG element defined by periodic structures, and the first pathway defined by an absence of structures in the PBG element;
b) receiving a second optical signal at a second pathway defined in the PBG element, the second pathway defined by an absence of structures in the PBG element;
c) phase-modulating the first optical signal to contain first data with a first phase modulator mounted in the first pathway of the PBG element;
d) phase-modulating the second optical signal to contain second data with a second phase modulator mounted in the second pathway of the PBG element;
e) guiding the phase-modulated first optical signal via the first pathway to an interference area defined in the PBG element;
f) guiding the phase-modulated second optical signal via the second pathway to the interference area;
g) combining the phase-modulated first optical signal with the phase-modulated second optical signal in the interference area to generate an optical interference signal that is amplitude-modulated based on the phase modulation of the first optical signal and the second optical signal;
h) nonlinearly discriminating the optical interference signal with a nonlinear element situated in the PBG element and optically positioned between an output of the interference area and an input to an output pathway defined in the PBG element to produce an optical output signal having a digital logic state representing third data resulting from a logic operation on the first data and second data by performance of the steps (g) and (h);
i) guiding the optical output signal to an output of the PBG element via the output pathway; and
j) outputting the optical output signal from the PBG element.
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Abstract
A disclosed apparatus comprises a guiding element and a nonlinear element. The guiding element guides optical input signals, at least one of which is phase-modulated, to an interference area where such signals meet and interfere. The resulting interference signal is nonlinearly discriminated by the nonlinear element to produce an optical output signal that can be amplitude- or phase-modulated according to the phase modulation of the input signals. The invention also includes related methods and photonic logic gates.
59 Citations
80 Claims
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1. A method comprising the steps of:
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a) receiving a first optical signal at a first pathway defined in a photonic bandgap (PBG) element, the PBG element defined by periodic structures, and the first pathway defined by an absence of structures in the PBG element; b) receiving a second optical signal at a second pathway defined in the PBG element, the second pathway defined by an absence of structures in the PBG element; c) phase-modulating the first optical signal to contain first data with a first phase modulator mounted in the first pathway of the PBG element; d) phase-modulating the second optical signal to contain second data with a second phase modulator mounted in the second pathway of the PBG element; e) guiding the phase-modulated first optical signal via the first pathway to an interference area defined in the PBG element; f) guiding the phase-modulated second optical signal via the second pathway to the interference area; g) combining the phase-modulated first optical signal with the phase-modulated second optical signal in the interference area to generate an optical interference signal that is amplitude-modulated based on the phase modulation of the first optical signal and the second optical signal; h) nonlinearly discriminating the optical interference signal with a nonlinear element situated in the PBG element and optically positioned between an output of the interference area and an input to an output pathway defined in the PBG element to produce an optical output signal having a digital logic state representing third data resulting from a logic operation on the first data and second data by performance of the steps (g) and (h); i) guiding the optical output signal to an output of the PBG element via the output pathway; and j) outputting the optical output signal from the PBG element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An optical device receiving a first optical signal and a second optical signal, the optical device comprising:
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an integrated photonic transistor having a guiding element formed of periodic structures having a spacing related to the wavelength of the first optical signal and the second optical signal propagating therein, the guiding element further defining first and second pathways along which travel the first optical signal and the second optical signal, respectively, the first and second pathways joining to form an interference area in which the first and second optical signals interfere to form an optical interference signal; a first phase modulator positioned in the first pathway of the guiding element and generating the phase-modulated first optical signal based on a first modulation signal; a second phase modulator positioned in the second pathway of the guiding element and generating the phase-modulated second optical signal based on a second modulation signal; and a nonlinear element positioned to receive the optical interference signal and nonlinearly discriminating the optical interference signal to form the optical output signal having a digital logic state, the guiding element defining an output pathway adapted to receive and guide the discriminated optical output signal from the nonlinear element to an output of the device; the nonlinear element optically positioned between an output of the interference area and an input to the output pathway; and the first and second pathways, the interference area and the output pathway defined by an absence of periodic structures in the guiding element. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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66. An optical circuit comprising:
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a logic stage comprising at least one optical logic gate integrated on a substrate, the optical logic gate receiving at least one phase-modulated optical input signal and a reference signal, the optical logic gate comprising input pathways guiding the phase-modulated optical input signal and reference signal to an interference area to generate a first interference signal nonlinearly discriminated by a nonlinear element to generate a phase-modulated optical output signal based on the phase-modulated optical input signal and the reference signal, the optical logic gate further comprising an output pathway to guide the phase-modulated optical output signal to an output of the logic stage, the input pathways, interference area and output pathway of the optical logic gate defined in a photonic bandgap (PBG) element, the nonlinear element comprising at least one of a laser, a cavity or a non-resonant amplifier; and an output stage comprising a phase-to-amplitude converter coupled to receive the phase-modulated optical output signal, the phase-to-amplitude converter comprising input pathways guiding the phase-modulated optical output signal and the reference signal to an interference area to generate a second interference signal nonlinearly discriminated by a nonlinear element to generate an amplitude-modulated optical output signal based on the phase-modulated optical input signal and the reference signal, the output stage further comprising an output pathway to guide the amplitude-modulated optical output signal to an output of the logic stage, the input pathways, interference area and output pathway of the output stage defined in the photonic bandgap (PBG) element, the nonlinear element comprising at least one of a laser, a cavity or a non-resonant amplifier. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
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75. A method comprising the steps of:
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a) receiving at least one phase-modulated optical input signal at a first pathway defined in the PBG element, the PBG element defined by periodic structures, the first pathway defined by an absence of structures in the PBG element; b) receiving an optical reference signal at a second pathway defined in the PBG element, the second pathway defined by an absence of structures in the PBG element; c) performing a phase logic operation based on the phase-modulated optical input signal and the optical reference signal with a nonlinear element situated in the PBG element and optically positioned between an output of the interference area and an input to an output pathway defined in the PBG element to produce a phase-modulated optical output signal, the output pathway defined by an absence of structures in the PBG element, the nonlinear element comprising one or more of a laser, a cavity or a non-resonant amplifier; and d) outputting the phase-modulated optical output signal via an output pathway defined in the PBG element, the output pathway defined by an absence of structures in the PBG element. - View Dependent Claims (76, 77, 78, 79, 80)
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Specification