Ultra-fast optical logic devices

Abstract

Combinatorial (Boolean) logic functions are provided by ultrafast optical logic devices which utilize soliton trapping between two optical signals propagating in a birefringent fiber. The logic devices are three terminal devices having orthogonally polarized soliton input signals and a single output signal. Optically filtering the output from the fiber permits the desired combinatorial logic operation to be performed on the input optical signals. Logic operations include AND, exclusive-OR, NOT, and NOR functions. In operation, the devices exhibit phase insensitivity, low switching energy, high contrast ratio between output logic levels, and cascadability. In one embodiment of the invention, a first optical signal and a second optical signal are optically coupled into the principal axes of a birefringent fiber. A Fabry Perot etalon centered at the center frequency of both the first and second signals is utilized to realize a exclusive-OR operation whereas centering the etalon on the frequency related to the spectral shift caused by soliton trapping realizes an AND operation.