Abstract: All-optical system for generating high rate modulated signals. The system includes: a signal generator for generating a first periodic signal at a first rate; an optical chopping device arranged to receive the first periodic signal and to produce therefrom a second periodic signal having pulses that are narrower than the pulses of the first periodic signal; a splitting device for receiving and splitting the second periodic signal into multiple images of the second periodic signal to propagate along multiple optical paths, the multiple optical paths including optical modulators for modulating the images of the second periodic signal to produce modulated signals; and an interleaving device for receiving and interleaving the modulated signals to produce a stream of modulated signal having a second rate which is higher than the first rate.

Abstract: All-optical system for generating high rate modulated signals. An optical rate increasing device for use with the system includes: an optical loop including an optical amplifier and a gate and having a first terminal and a second terminal coupled to said optical loop, wherein the optical loop is arranged to receive a first periodic signal from the first terminal and to produce therefrom a second periodic signal at the second terminal, and wherein the rate of the second periodic signal is higher than the rate of the first periodic signal.

Abstract: The present invention provides an all optical system for correcting optical dispersions including at least one optical chopping device having an input terminal for receiving a first signal, which has been broadened by optical dispersions and corresponds to an optical information channel, and at least one output terminal, wherein the optical chopping device is arranged to produce in the at least one output a second signal that is narrower than the first signal. The second signal may be detectable more reliably than the first signal.

Abstract: The present invention provides an all optical system for generating high rate modulated signals including: a generator for generating a first periodic signal at a first rate; an optical chopping device arranged to receive the first periodic signal for producing a second periodic signal having pulses that are narrower than the pulses of the first signal; a splitting device for receiving and splitting the second periodic signal into multiple images of the second periodic signal propagating along multiple optical paths, the multiple optical paths including optical modulators for modulating the images of the second periodic signal at a first rate to produce modulated signals; an interleaving device for receiving and interleaving the modulated signals to produce a stream of modulated signal having a second ratewhich is higher than the first rate.

Abstract: Some exemplary embodiments of one version of the present invention provide an optical switch including: a splitting device having first, second, third and fourth terminals; a nonlinear element; an attenuator; and an optical loop associated with the third and fourth terminals, the optical loop including the attenuator and the nonlinear element, the nonlinear element being displaced from a mid-point of the optical loop, wherein the splitting device is able to receive an input signal via one of the first and second terminals and an activating signal via one of the first and second terminals and to provide an output signal at one of the first and second terminals in response to the activating signal. In exemplary embodiments of alternative versions of the present inventions, the optical switch may include a threshold device. In some versions, the optical switch may be operated with a continuous wave or a pulse based activating signal.

Abstract: A diffraction grating device (100) has both reflecting (108) and transmitting (106) gratings inter leaved to allow both transmission diffraction patterns and reflection diffraction patterns to be formed by means of the same device (102). This makes it possible, for example, to produce a diffraction pattern of one older with a beam (134) directed to be diffracted by the reflecting diffraction grating or with a beam (132) directed to be diffracted by the transmitting diffraction grating when either beam is incident alone. It also makes it possible to generate a diffraction pattern of a different order when both beams are incident simultaneously, which reduces effective order of the grating.

Abstract: An all-optical data compression system comprising: an input encoding unit having at least one input for receiving a data channel; an output decoding unit having at least one output for providing a data channel; a radiation guide for carrying encoded optical data signals from the encoding unit to the decoding unit, and the encoded optical data signals are in a form of a train of optical pulses equally separated by a time interval and having relative phase shifts between adjacent pulses.

Abstract: An all-optical packet gating and routing system, comprising: first optical divider having first input and a plurality of outputs for receiving optical packets at the first input and directing the packets to each of the plurality of outputs, the optical packets having encoded headers and payloads, and each of the plurality of outputs of the first divider includes a packet gate; the packet gate, comprising: second optical divider having second input and first and second outputs for receiving the optical packets at the second input and directing the packets to each of the first and second outputs; the first output includes a decoding device for decoding one of the encoded headers of one of the optical packets and to produces a pulse in response to one of the encoded headers propagating in the first output and a copier for producing a plurality of images of the pulse, and an AND gate having third and fourth inputs and a third output; and the AND gate receives the plurality of images of the pulse at the third inpu

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical system for decoding, switching, demultiplexing, and routing of optical encoded data symbols from multiple inputs to multiple outputs, including: a plurality of demultiplexing systems, each of the demultiplexing systems includes an input and a plurality of outputs, each of the demultiplexing systems is a system for performing a function selected from a group of functions including decoding, switching, demultiplexing, and routing for producing decoded signals at the outputs in response to the encoded data symbols received at the input; and a coupling mechanism for coupling the outputs of the plurality of demultiplexing systems to allow each of the encoded data symbols received by the input of each of the plurality of demultiplexing systems to produce the decoded signals at the outputs of the plurality of demultiplexing systems.

Abstract: A method of producing narrow optical pulses includes receiving first and second optical pulses having first and second widths, respectively, the second optical pulse having a delay relative to the first optical pulse, and selectively interfering the first and second optical pulses to produce a third optical pulse having a third width narrower than both said first and second widths.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical system for decoding, switching, demultiplexing, and routing of optical encoded data signals, including: at least first and second layers, each layer including at least one demultiplexing system having an input and a plurality of outputs, each of the outputs including a decoding device, wherein each of the demultiplexing systems is capable of performing a function selected from a group of functions including decoding, switching, demultiplexing, and routing for producing decoded signals at the outputs in response to the encoded data symbols received at the input; and a coupling mechanism for optically coupling one or more demultiplexing systems of the first layer with one or more demultiplexing systems of the second layer, by respectively coupling one of the plurality of outputs of the demultiplexing system of the first layer with the input of the demultiplexing system of the second layer.

Abstract: An all optical chopping device for shaping and reshaping comprising an all optical AND logic gate having a first input for receiving a first optical signal, a second input for receiving a second optical signal and at least one output. The AND gate may be arranged to produce at least at one output thereof an optical output signal corresponding to a portion of the AND product of the first optical signal and the second optical signals. The optical output signal may be narrower than at least one of the first optical signal and the second optical signal.

Abstract: An optical coding protocol includes a first information channel having a first information bit slot and a first control bit slot, and a second information channel having a second information bit slot and a second control bit slot, wherein the first and second information bit slots and the first and second control bit slots all have a same width, wherein the first information bit slot and the first control bit slot are shifted with respect to each other by a first integer number of the slot width, wherein the second information bit slot and the second control bit slot are shifted with respect to each other by a second integer number of the slot width, and wherein the first integer does not equal to the second integer.

Abstract: An all-optical time division multiplexing system, comprising: first divider having first input and a first plurality of outputs for receiving input signals at the first input and directing the input signals to each of the outputs of the first plurality of outputs, the input signals arranged within periodic time slots; second divider having second input and a second plurality of outputs for receiving clock signals at the second input and directing the clock signals to each of the outputs of the second plurality of outputs, and a third plurality of AND gates each having third and fourth inputs and fifth output for receiving the input signals at the third input from one of the outputs of the first plurality of outputs and receiving the clock signals at the fourth input from one of the outputs of the second plurality of outputs, and the clock signals and the input signals coincide in the third and fourth inputs of the AND gates of the third plurality of AND gates in a consecutive order to produce at the fifth

Abstract: A multiplexed optical communication system includes a plurality of chopping modulators associated with a first plurality of channels to receive input optical pulses having a first width and to produce therefrom chopped optical pulses having a second width narrower than the first width; a multiplexer to multiplex the chopped optical pulses of the first plurality of channels into a serial bit stream; an optical medium to transport the serial bit stream; and a demultiplexer to demultiplex the serial bit stream into output optical pulses in a second plurality of channels.

Abstract: An all-optical bi-stable device includes first and second comparators, each having an activating input, a threshold input, and a clamping output; a first optical path between the first clamping output and the second threshold input; a second optical path between the second clamping output and the first threshold input; at least one tapping device; and at least one coupling device. The comparators are arranged to produce at the clamping output either a high-level clamped output signal or a low-level output signal, based on a comparison of signals received at the activating and threshold inputs. The first and second optical paths may create one of two stable states in which one of the comparators produces a high-level clamped output signal and the other comparator produces a low-level output signal. The coupling device may flip between the two stable states by converting the high-level clamped output signal into the low-level output signal.

Abstract: An optical coding protocol includes a first information channel having a first information bit slot and a first control bit slot, and a second information channel having a second information bit slot and a second control bit slot, wherein the first and second information bit slots and the first and second control bit slots all have a same width, wherein the first information bit slot and the first control bit slot are shifted with respect to each other by a first integer number of the slot width, wherein the second information bit slot and the second control bit slot are shifted with respect to each other by a second integer number of the slot width, and wherein the first integer does not equal to the second integer.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of some aspects of the invention provide an optical decoding device including: a splitting device having first, second, and third, terminals; a nonlinear element; and an attenuator, wherein the second and third terminals are associated with an optical loop including the attenuator and the nonlinear element, the nonlinear element being displaced from a mid-point of the optical loop, and wherein the decoding device is able to receive multiple encoded signals via the first terminal, to decode at least one of the encoded signals and to provide a decoded signal at the first terminal in response to the at least one encoded signal. Exemplary embodiments of further aspects of the invention provide an optical code responsive device for decoding optical encoded signals, codes, and/or symbols, for header processing, for header reading, for address decoding and/or for optical packet routing.

Abstract: An optical coincidence system for modulating, switching, and routing optical signal pulses includes at least first and second inputs; at least one interfering device; and at least one selecting device including a differential receiving terminal and at least one output. The first and second inputs may receive optical signal pulses and optical control pulses, respectively, and direct each of the signal and control pulses toward respective signal and control paths. The interfering device may receive the signal and control pulses from the signal and control paths, respectively, and produce an interference pattern which corresponds to arrival times of the pulses. The selecting device may receive, at the differential receiving terminal, at least part of the interference pattern for selectively emitting output pulses from the output. The system may be arranged to narrow the width of the output pulses relative to that of the signal and control pulses.

Abstract: The present invention relates to all optical choppers for shaping and reshaping. A chopper according to some embodiments of the invention may include a threshold device having an input terminal for receiving an optical input signal and an output terminal for emitting an optical output signal in response to a part of the input signal having intensity above a threshold level of the chopping device, wherein the output signal is narrower than the input signal. In other embodiments the device may include a first splitting device having at least first, second and third terminals, and at least one nonlinear element, wherein the second and third terminals form an optical loop including at least one nonlinear element displaced from the center of the optical loop, wherein the splitting device is arranged to receive an input signal for producing a first output signal that is narrower than the input signal. In further embodiments the optical loop includes at least one more attenuator.