All-optical delay generator for ppm communication systems based on a non-linear waveguide with a chirped dbr

Abstract

An all-optical PPM modulator comprises one or more sources of trains of optical control pulses and optical signal pulses, the optical control and optical signal pulses being equally spaced, but differentiated from one another by at least having different optical wavelengths and/or polarizations prior to modulation. An electro-optic modulator, for example, amplitude modulates the control pulses using a signal. A chirped Bragg reflector in an non-linear waveguide receives both the amplitude modulated optical control signal pulses and unmodulated optical signal pulses at an entrance port thereof, the waveguide having a path length selected to achieve temporal overlap of the control and signal pulses in the waveguide. The chirped Bragg reflector is resonant to the optical signal pulses and off-resonant to the optical control pulse. The signal pulses reflect the in chirped Bragg reflector and exit an entrance port thereof while the control pulses either are absorbed or exit an exit port of the chirped Bragg reflector.