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: 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 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: 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: 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: A pixelated detector assembly comprising a stack of thin detector crystals, each detector crystal having a pair of planar surfaces bound by edges substantially thinner than the dimensions of the surfaces. The stack is disposed such that the radiation to be detected is incident on one set of edges of the stack of detector crystals. The dimension of the planar surfaces in the general direction of incidence of the radiation incidence is sufficient to ensure that substantially all of the high energy photons to be detected are absorbed within the depth of the detector assembly. Each of the detector crystals has a two-dimensional pixelated anode array formed on one of its planar surfaces. A cathode is formed on its opposite planar surface, preferably covering substantially all of the surface.

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: A pixelated detector assembly comprising a stack of thin detector crystals, each detector crystal having a pair of planar surfaces bound by edges substantially thinner than the dimensions of the surfaces. The stack is disposed such that the radiation to be detected is incident on one set of edges of the stack of detector crystals. The dimension of the planar surfaces in the general direction of incidence of the radiation incidence is sufficient to ensure that substantially all of the high energy photons to be detected are absorbed within the depth of the detector assembly. Each of the detector crystals has a two-dimensional pixelated anode array formed on one of its planar surfaces. A cathode is formed on its opposite planar surface, preferably covering substantially all of the surface.

Abstract: A pixelated detector assembly comprising a stack of thin detector crystals, each detector crystal having a pair of planar surfaces bound by edges substantially thinner than the dimensions of the surfaces. The stack is disposed such that the radiation to be detected is incident on one set of edges of the stack of detector crystals. The dimension of the planar surfaces in the general direction of incidence of the radiation incidence is sufficient to ensure that substantially all of the high energy photons to be detected are absorbed within the depth of the detector assembly. Each of the detector crystals has a two-dimensional pixelated anode array formed on one of its planar surfaces. A cathode is formed on its opposite planar surface, preferably covering substantially all of the surface.

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: 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.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical system for decoding, switching, demultiplexing, and routing of optical encoded data symbols, including: a plurality of optical paths having first and second terminals; a splitting mechanism for directing the encoded data symbols to each of the first terminals; a plurality of decoding devices for producing decoded signals in response to the encoded data symbols; and each of the optical paths includes, between the first and second terminals, at least one of the decoding devices to produce one of the decoded signals at one of the second terminals in response to one of the encoded data symbols.

Abstract: In one version, the present invention provides an all optical device for wavelength conversion, reshaping, modulating, and regenerating, including: a splitting device having first, second, third, and fourth terminals; a nonlinear element, and an attenuator; the third and fourth terminals being associated with an optical loop including the attenuator and the nonlinear element, the nonlinear element being displaced from a center of the optical loop, wherein the splitting device is arranged to receive a modulated signal from one of the first and second terminals and a continuous beam from one of the first and second terminals and to generate based on the continuous beam a patterned signal at one of the first and second terminals, and wherein the widths of pulses of the patterned signal are proportional to the widths of pulses of the modulated signal. In an alternative version according to the present invention, the optical loop includes a nonlinear element and a coupling device for receiving chopped signals.

Abstract: In one version, the present invention provides an optical switching device including a splitting device having a first terminal for receiving an input signal and second and third terminals, and an optical loop associated with the second and third terminals and having first and second non-linear elements and first and second directing devices. One of the first and second non-linear elements may receive an activating signal from a third directing device and, in response to the activating signal, cause the optical loop to producing first and second output signals at the first and second directing devices, respectively. In another version, the present invention provides an optical gating device. The present invention also provides an optical switching device that may include two optical gating devices and an optical toggle device.

Abstract: An optical AND logic gate includes a summing gate having first and second inputs for receiving first and second optical signals, and a threshold device. The gate produces an output corresponding to the AND product of the first and second optical signals. In another version the AND gate includes first and second inputs for receiving first and second optical signals, and an optical loop for producing an output corresponding to the AND product of the first and second optical signals. In an alternative versions a NAND gate is provided by applying an optical logic NOT on an AND gate.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical delay, for example, an optical delay line, having at least first and second waveguides, each waveguide having a first end at a first side of the device and a second end at a second side of the device, wherein the second end of the first waveguide is coupled to the second end of the second waveguide at a reflective coupling region, which reverts the direction of propagation of radiation in the device from propagating towards the second side of the device via the first waveguide to propagating towards the first side of the device via the second waveguide.