Abstract: A signal detector system (10) comprises a single signal detector (11) having a limited on-time during which any received electromagnetic signal can be assessed. The signal detector (11) receives electromagnetic signals from a single direction in space (D) through a single optical fibre (12), a signal splitter 13 which splits the collected signal between three optical paths (20, 30 and 40), and a signal combiner (14) which combines the portions of the signal transmitted by the three optical paths (20, 30 and 40) and transmits the combined signal to a signal detector input (15). Each of the optical paths (20, 30 and 40) includes a respective optical delay (21, 31 and 41) designed to delay transmission of any received signal towards the signal detector (11). In this manner the signal detector (11) will receive any signals that arrived at the optical fibre (12) during three separate periods of time.

Abstract: An optical tapped delay line device in accordance with the present invention is a method for and device for spatially resolving the spectral components of an optical signal, i.e., channelizing or spectrum analyzing the wavelength content of an optical signal. The device is based on a tapped optical delay line and enables numerous related optical signal processing functions.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for effectively transmitting a packet data and a control data of path information about the packet data in an optical packet data switching network. The method includes grouping a plurality of wavelengths into at least two wavelength bandwidths, each wavelength bandwidth being composed of neighboring wavelengths, and transmitting the optical packet data and the control data with wavelengths of different wavelength bandwidths respectively. Since the wavelength to transmit the optical packet data and the wavelength to transmit the control data has a difference from each other, a node receiving optical data easily divides the packet data and the control data.

Abstract: An optical packet tray router is disclosed that manipulates a signal wavelength as the fundamental control mechanism. The disclosed optical packet tray router aggregates one or more packets in a packet tray for transmission over a network. The header information associated with each packet is used to route each packet to the appropriate destination channel and to make timing decisions. A wavelength server generates optical control wavelengths in response to the timing decisions. A generated optical control wavelength is used to adjust the wavelength of a given packet tray and thereby introduce a wavelength selective delay to the packet tray to align packet trays or to shift one or more packet trays to avoid a collision. The wavelength of the packet tray is converted to a control wavelength corresponding to an identified delay, irrespective of the initial channel upon which the packet tray was received.

Abstract: An optical apparatus is disclosed wherein increase of the number of wavelength selective switches provided for a standby system can be suppressed. The optical apparatus includes a plurality of upstream side optical devices and a plurality of downstream side optical devices configured such that a plurality of output ports to be set as output destinations of light from a plurality of input ports can be changed over for each wavelength. An upstream side standby switch connected at a plurality of inputs thereof individually to the input ports and can change over an output of light from the inputs for each wavelength. A downstream side standby switch is connected at an input thereof to the output of the upstream side standby switch and at a plurality of outputs thereof individually to the output ports and can output light from the input to the plural outputs thereof.

Abstract: An address recognition apparatus may include a first normalizing unit, a second normalizing unit and an address determination unit. The first normalizing unit normalizes a first electric signal and generates a first normalized signal, wherein the first electric signal is associated with a first divided set of optical packet signals. The second normalizing unit normalizes a second electric signal and generates a second normalized signal, wherein the second electric signal is associated with a second divided set of optical packet signals. The address determination unit refers to the first and second normalized signals and determines whether a destination address of a set of optical packet signals is identical to or different from an address allocated to a self-station associated with the address recognition apparatus, wherein the set of optical packet signals has been divided into the first and second divided sets of optical packet signals.

Abstract: An optical time delay module has a plurality of time delay elements connected in a series and a plurality an optical output couplers wherein each of said optical output couplers is operationally connected between one or more time delay elements in said series, the optical output couplers providing a plurality of optical outputs from said module with different optical delays controlled by an analog voltage.

Abstract: A digitally controlled optical delay apparatus providing optical signal delays electrically selectable in the picosecond to nanosecond range by way of selectable signal path lengths. Path lengths are incremented in physical length and path delay time according to digital ratios. The delay element includes micro-miniature path changing mirrors controlled in path length selecting positioning by input signals of logic level magnitude. Fiber optic coupling of signals to and from the delay element and a combination of fixed position and movable mirror included optical signal path lengths are included.

Abstract: A generating unit generates an apparatus reference frame phase that becomes a reference in a data multiplexing/demultiplexing apparatus, based on a reception frame phase of the data input to a predetermined reception buffer and a predetermined delay amount. A multiplexing/demultiplexing unit reads data from the reception buffer based on the apparatus reference frame phase generated by the generating unit, and multiplexes or demultiplexes the data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for implementing an RF photonic transversal filter that utilizes tap apodization and wavelength reuse to obtain a high side lobe suppression together with narrow and configurable passbands. Several taps are obtained from one wavelength by using dispersive optical delay lines such as chirped fiber gratings that introduce a delay between successive wavelengths. A selected subset of the input wavelengths is utilized to generate multiple taps per wavelength. Some of the taps are apodized to generate various filter transfer functions that yield a high side lobe suppression ratio.

Abstract: A transmitter (305) for transmitting reverse optical signals in a broadband communications system (300) that includes a converter (320) for digitizing the analog RF signals and a carrier-detect circuit (330) coupled to the converter (320) for detecting when digital RF signals are present at the output of the converter (320). When the carrier-detect circuit (330) detects digital RF signals, the carrier-detect circuit (330) allows the digital RF signals to be transmitted upstream through the broadband communications system (300). A digital network (310) then combines the received digital RF signals with other digital RF signals from additional transmitters (305). The combined digital signals are then provided to a receiver (315) that includes a converter (335) for returning the digital RF signals to analog RF signals and then providing the analog signals to a headend for further processing.

Abstract: An optical transmitter generates a transmission signal having a frame as a unit, the frame including a signal pilot signal with fixed amplitude and phase and two data bits to output the generated signal into a transmission line. In a receiver, a splitter splits the signal light from the transmission line. An optical delay delays the signal light for a 1-bit period. A first combiner combines the signal light from the transmission line and the output signal light from the optical delay. A photodetector converts the combined light into an electrical signal. A 3-bit optical delay, a second combiner, a BPF, and an oscillator generate a frame-timing signal. A gate separates a data from the output from the photodetector under the control of a gate control unit. A binary discriminator binary-discriminates the output signal from the gate.

Abstract: A buffer device includes at least one internal switching unit and at least one basic buffer unit. The internal switching unit includes at least two inputs and at least two outputs. The internal switching unit and the basic buffer unit form a closed connection by alternating with each other via one input of the two inputs and one output of the two outputs. Another one of the at least two inputs of the internal switching unit receives a light wave. The internal switching unit outputs the light wave according to a first control signal. The basic buffer unit buffers the light wave from the internal switching unit. At the same time, a network node and a scheduling method are also provided. A network node with the buffer device has a small scale and is easy to realize, while the data packet loss rate is decreased and the head of line blocking is avoided.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for preserving a frame sequence and distributing traffic in a multi-channel link, which efficiently distributes frame traffic while preserving the transmission sequence of frames in a link composed of multiple channels, and to a multi-channel transmitter using the apparatus and method. The present invention determines whether the preservation of a sequence of frames is required using information about received frames, predicts a frame transmission service finish time on the basis of the length of frames if the sequence preservation is required, determines a sequence preservation service time (SPST) on the basis of the predicted transmission service finish time, stores the frames in a sequence preservation buffer for the SPST, and distributes the frames to idle transmitters at a termination point of the SPST, thus maximizing the efficiency of channel use.

Abstract: A communication system for the mutual interconnection of a plurality of lower traffic level (5 Terabit) switch nodes via a relatively higher traffic level (Petabit) connection bus, which system comprises in operative association with each node, a two part TDM optical data management interface, wherein a first of the two parts comprises a time slot resequencer which serves to provide for the transmission of data from its associated node to the bus, and wherein a second of the two parts comprises a time slot specific combiner which serves for the transmission of data from the bus to its associated node, each node and the bus having independent data scheduling.

Abstract: In an optical packet processing apparatus, an optical coupler joins optical packets transmitted through a plurality of input side optical transmission lines and outputs the joined optical packets to an output side optical transmission line. The optical packet processing apparatus has delay sections for delaying desired optical packets for each input side optical transmission lines. Delay times of the delay sections are different by one optical packet time period, while a minimum delay time thereof is the optical packet time period or more.

Abstract: An optical switch section that switches the path of an optical packet transmitted thereto and outputs the optical packet, and a control section that generates multiple switch control signals in accordance with the destination of an optical packet transmitted thereto, transmits the multiple control signals to the optical switch section through multiple signal transmission lines and controls the ON/OFF states of multiple optical switches are included, and delay measuring means for measuring a difference in delay time among the multiple signal transmission lines is provided. In this case, the control section adjusts the transmission times of the multiple switch control signals such that the difference in delay time measured by the delay measuring means can be cancelled and that the multiple switch control signals transmitted through the multiple signal transmission lines can arrive at the multiple optical switches simultaneously and transmits the multiple switch control signals.

Abstract: A multiple-plane OBS node comprises N input ports, N 1×N switches, N switching planes, N2 FDLs, N optical couplers, and N output ports, each input port is connected with the input of a corresponding 1×N switches, the N outputs of each 1×N switch are connected with a corresponding input of each switching plane respectively, a corresponding output of each switching plane is connected with the input of the same corresponding optical coupler via a respective FDL, and each output port is connected with the output of a corresponding optical coupler, wherein N is an integer.

Abstract: The receiver features a first splitter which divides a differential phase modulated signal into three signal components from which at least two signal components are routed via timers. The first timer has a delay of a half period of the carrier signal and thereby serves in a conventional way for phase comparison and thus for demodulation. The second timer is adjustable and is used to compensate for the dispersion.

Abstract: A device that synchronizes circuits over asynchronous links is disclosed. Some embodiments of the invention include a device that comprises a plurality of circuits. One of the plurality of circuits is designated as a “master” circuit. The master circuit is configured to send a first synchronization signal to one or more of the plurality of circuits, and each circuit that receives the first synchronization signal is configured to responsively send a second synchronization signal to one or more of the plurality of circuits.

Abstract: An optical modulator using a thin plate including a portion having 20 ?m or less thickness, capable of selecting a specific polarized wave from a light wave which propagates in an optical waveguide in the modulator without reduced productivity. The modulator includes an X-cut or Y-cut thin plate of a material having an electrooptic effect; an optical waveguide formed in a top or bottom surface of the plate; and a control electrode on the top surface of the plate to modulate light which propagates in the waveguide. An attenuating means which absorbs light having a specific polarization plane of a light wave which propagates in the waveguide is disposed in the vicinity of the waveguide. The attenuating means includes light absorbing members disposed at a gap L which is 0.5 to 2 times the mode-field diameter of the light wave which propagates in the waveguide with the waveguide interposed therebetween.

Abstract: A modular cross connect system for optical telecommunication networks has the optical unit divided in at least two main bodies with one section for connection comprising the collimators and a main commutation section with MEMS devices. The first section is a fixed part while the second section is a readily removable section. The two sections face each other through a window and, in the first section, optics are provided for steering all or part of the optical signals from and to the main MEMS unit to a MEMS standby or protection plane to allow replacement of the main MEMS unit without interrupting service.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for utilizing tunable differential group delay with at least a component of a fiber optic transmission system includes providing a tunable differential group delay system that is optically connected to a component of the fiber optic transmission system. The tunable differential group delay system is then controlled to insert differential group delay into the component of the fiber optic transmission system.

Abstract: Optical bypass node upgrade configurations are disclosed: (1) a configuration where optical taps are pre-positioned in wavelength division multiplex (WDM) line systems terminating at optical-electrical-optical (OEO) core switching nodes to allow for future upgrade of the nodes to degree-two or higher optical bypass; (2) a configuration where the taps are pre-positioned in a degree-two optical bypass node to allow for future upgrade to a degree-N optical bypass node; and (3) a configuration and procedure for upgrading OEO core switching nodes to optical bypass when the taps have not been pre-positioned in the WDM line systems. These configurations do not introduce bit errors for non-upgraded optical paths.

Abstract: An optoelectronic device that has a network address (e.g., IF address) and participates in in-band traffic for purposes of performing functions (e.g., network diagnostics, network control, network provisioning, fault isolation, etc.) that are traditionally performed by host equipment. An embodiment of the invention may have a protocol engine and a status monitoring module. The protocol engine identifies data packets that are addressed to the optoelectronic device, and allows the optoelectronic device to insert packets of information generated by the device into in-band data. Logic of the optoelectronic device may modify the operating parameters of the device according to the control information included in the data packets. The status monitoring module detects the device's physical conditions and the conditions of its links.

Abstract: The present invention is an optical multiplex communication system in which an optical wavelength division channel and an optical code division channel can coexist, wherein a WDM channel section 86 has a wavelength demultiplexer 36 and WDM channels W1 to W4. An optical pulse string 83-3 is demultiplexed by the wavelength demultiplexer 36, and for channel W1, an optical pulse 37 with wavelength ?1 is input to an intensity modulator 114 and converted into an optical pulse signal of channel W1, and is output as a wavelength division optical pulse signal 115, where transmission information of channel W1 is reflected.

Abstract: An improved apparatus and method for enhancing the performance of optical transmission and network systems (such as SONET or SDH). A magnetically trapped atomic cloud chamber is provided which selectively alters the group velocity of light waves propagating through the atomic cloud. A delay device, repeater, pulse shaper, and millimeter wave transmission system incorporating the chamber are also disclosed.

Abstract: An optical router for selecting optical paths for optical signals and outputting the optical signals. The optical router includes an optical delay device to delay the optical signals containing routing information in a header. An optical switch having input ports' and output ports receives optical outputs that are input from the optical delay device and outputs the optical signals. An optical-electrical conversion device converts the optical signals to electrical signals. A memory stores paths control information. A controller finds the path control information according to routing information output from the optical-electrical conversion device, determines destinations of the optical signal, and selects and assigns an input port in sequence from at least one input port having an output request to the output ports according to results of sorting a plurality of the output ports in ascending order of a number of output requests from the input ports.

Abstract: A modular reconfigurable multi-server system with hybrid optical and electrical switching fabrics for high-speed networking within a wavelength-division-multiplexed based photonic burst-switched (PBS) network with variable time slot provisioning. An optical high-speed I/O module within the multi-server system includes an optical switch with the control interface unit. A server module of the multi-server system statistically multiplexes IP packets and/or Ethernet frames to be transmitted over the PBS network, generate control and data bursts and schedule their transmission. Then, the server E-O converts the bursts, and then transmits the optical bursts to the optical I/O module. The optical I/O module then optically transmits the bursts to the next hop in the optical path after processing the optical control burst to configure the optical switch, which then optically switches the optical data burst without performing an O-E-O conversion.

Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for processing multiple commands to a streaming target device through a SCSI router in a Fibre Channel network provisioned with one or more Fiber Channel hosts. The system and method are implemented in the SCSI router and include creating a FIFO queue, receiving a first command from one of the Fibre Channel hosts in the Fibre Channel network, and forwarding the first command to the streaming target device. When a subsequent command is issued to the streaming target device, the SCSI router can receive the subsequent command and determine whether the streaming target device has completed execution of the previous command. If the streaming target device has completed execution of the previous command, the subsequent command can be forwarded to the streaming target device. If the streaming target device has not completed executing the previous command, the subsequent command can instead be placed in the FIFO queue.

Abstract: An optical delay line for use with an optical source including input/output optics optically coupled to the optical source and a curved mirror with a reflective surface that is centered about an evolute curve of the delay line to retro-reflect light traveling along a delay line beam path tangent to the edge of the evolute curve. The input/output optics direct light from the optical source along the delay line beam path and direct delayed light from the delay line beam path out of the optical delay line along an output beam path. The input/output optics and/or the curved mirror rotate about the evolute curve at a selected angular speed. The reflective surface has a curvature based on a parametric curve that is calculated from the evolute curve such that the delay of the delay line varies according to a predetermined function as the input/output optics and/or the curved mirror rotate.

Abstract: A system for filtering light propagating in a waveguide is described. The system utilizes an adjustable periodic grating which induces mode coupling of predetermined frequencies of light propagating in the waveguide.

Abstract: An optical time multiplexer for generating an N Gbits/s output signal (36) from n data modulated input pulse streams (21, 22) with a pulse frequency of N/n GHz, where n?IN and n?2, with a combiner device for passively interleaving the n input pulse streams (21, 22) is characterized by at least n?1 first phase shifting elements (25) tuning the optical phases of at least n?1 input pulse streams (22) and being connected to a controller device (32), which derives at least n?1 control signals from a comparison of the optical phases of the n input pulse streams (21, 22) and controls the at least n?1 first phase shifting elements (25) such that the optical phases of all n input pulse streams (21, 22) are locked with respect to each other. This optical time multuplexer reduces the drifting penalty of ODTM signals due to multiplexer instability, it prohibits the broadening of RZ pulses, and it grants the possibility to easily generate carrier-suppressed RZ signals or similar modulation formats.

Abstract: Techniques and systems for monitoring of optical signals are described. Each of a plurality of optical signals is supplied to an optical port. A port signal is generated based on each of the optical signals and each of the port signals is subjected to a time delay to create a time delayed signal, with a different time delay being present in each of the time delayed signals. The time delayed signals are multiplexed to create a multiplexed signal comprising a plurality of multiplexed signal components, each component corresponding to one of the time delayed signals and exhibiting a time delay characterizing the corresponding time delayed signal. A desired one or ones of the multiplexed signal components are selected by analysis or display by specifying a time delay present in the time delayed signal represented by the desired component, and selecting a signal component exhibiting the specified time delay.

Abstract: A protection arrangement for an optical switching system includes protection switching for switch planes in the optical core and for ports in the tributary cards. For a multiple layer switch core protection is also provided between layers. A first layer is for switching optical channels. The protection switches used may be 1×N, 2×N or 3×N MEMS optical switches. The 1×N MEMS provides for protection switching. The 2×N MEMS provides protection switching and testing capability. The 3×N MEMS provides for protection switching, testing and backup of the protection switching. Application of these protection switches is shown in lambda plane switch cores, multiple layer switch cores and combined switch cores.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for temporally shifting one or more packets using wavelength selective delays. The header information associated with each packet, together with a routing algorithm, routing topology information and internal OPTR state, is used to route each packet to the appropriate destination channel and to make timing decisions. A wavelength server generates optical control wavelengths in response to the timing decisions. A generated optical control wavelength is used to adjust the wavelength of a given packet tray and thereby introduce a wavelength selective delay to the packet tray to align packet trays or to shift one or more packet trays to avoid a collision. The wavelength of the packet tray is converted to a control wavelength corresponding to an identified delay, irrespective of the initial channel upon which the packet tray was received. At the output stage of the packet tray router, the packet tray wavelength can be converted to any desired output channel wavelength.

Abstract: An optical time delay apparatus comprises: a multi-wavelength optical source; a diffractive element set imparting a wavelength-dependent delay on signals routed from the source to a 1×N optical switch; and N diffractive element sets routing signals from the 1×N switch to an output port. The optical propagation delay between the source and the output port varies according to the operational state of the source and the 1×N switch. A photodetector may receive the time-delayed signal at the output port.

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 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: Optical equalization across N (an integer, N>1) channels of a multi-channel link of a communications network, is accomplished by averaging effects of optical performance variations within each of the M (an integer, M>1) parallel data signals. At a transmitting end node of the link, each one of the M data signals are distributed across the N channels of the link. Thus a substantially equal portion of each data signal is conveyed through the link in each one of the N channels. At a receiving end node of the link, respective bit-streams received over the N channels to are processed recover the M data signals. As a result, bit error rates of the bit-streams received through each channel are averaged across the M data signals, all of which therefore have a substantially equal aggregate bit error rate.

Abstract: A system and method for efficiently and effectively simulating hardware-in-the-loop testing of a wireless communications network. The system and method employs an optical matrix-vector multiplier (MVM) for performing optical signal processing to simulate radio frequency (RF) signal propagation characteristics in a mobile wireless communications network. Specifically, the system and method employs an optical modulator, which is adapted to modulate optical energy with signal energy, such as radio frequency (RF) signal energy, propagating from a first group of transceivers of the network to form a vector of optical signals. The optical matrix-vector multiplier (MVM) receives the vector of optical signals, and has a matrix of optical channel weights which are modifiable in accordance with desired parameters to represent at least on parameter of the wireless network. The optical MVM is further adapted to output signals based on the received vector of optical signals and the optical channel weights.

Abstract: An address determination circuit makes an address determination of an optical packet to which a destination address and a source address are assigned on a bit-by-bit basis. The address determination circuit has an optical branching section which divides the optical packet into branches, in which each of the branched optical packet contains the same original data, a delay section which delays at least one of the branched optical packets, a bit determination section which determines each bit value of the branched optical packets, and a logic operation section which performs a logic operation on the bit values of the branched optical packets determined by the bit determination section. The delay section delays the branched optical packets so that the logic operation section performs the logic operation on a bit assigned the destination address or the source address and a bit having a predetermined bit value in synchronization with each other.

Abstract: A laser-radar receiver comprising an array of optical fibers, wherein the opposite ends of the optical fibers are connected to at least one electromagnetic radiation detector, each of the optical fibers having differing physical characteristics which result in known delays in the transmission time of pulsed electromagnetic radiation.

Abstract: An optical router capable of efficiently allocating optimum optical paths to optical signals at optimum timings is provided in accordance with the present invention. The optical router is capable of delaying a plurality of the optical signals containing routing information attached to the header parts thereof. The optical router contains an optical switch which has a plurality of input and output ports; an optical-electrical converter for converting a plurality of the optical signals to electrical signals; memory wherein path control information and delay time information are stored; and a controller for generating an electrical routing control signal which can change the optical path of the optical signals by finding the path control information according to the routing information extracted from the output of the optical-electrical converter and which can delay the electrical routing control.

Abstract: An optical communication equipment comprises shared optical sources 88a–88d to be shared by communication nodes 100a–100d, the wavelengths of optical signals 76a–76d are converted into desired wavelengths ?a–?d according to the addressed information of the corresponding optical label signals 77a–77d by using the shared optical sources 88a–88d, and routed to the addressed communication nodes without being converted into electrical signals by using the wavelength routing function of the cyclic-wavelength arrayed-waveguide grating (AWG) 120. The load of each communication node can be reduced by incorporating the multi-wavelength optical sources, which can be shared among individual communication nodes, into the router 80.

Abstract: A delayed optical signal is generated from an inputted optical signal by cyclically transmitting the inputted optical signal between at least two ends of an optical medium and outputting the inputted optical signal from one of the ends of the optical medium after at least one transmission cycle via the optical medium. Each transmission of the inputted optical signal in a direction via the optical medium is carried out over a wavelength resource that is different from a wavelength resource used in a preceding transmission of the inputted optical signal in a direction via the optical medium. Interference among repeated transmissions of the inputted optical signal via the optical medium is therefore minimized or even avoided. Related apparatus and method are also described.

Abstract: An optical multi/demultiplexing circuit includes at least one phase generating optical coupler and an optical delay line coupled to the phase generating optical coupler. The phase generating optical coupler consists of at least one input and at least two outputs. At least one of the phase generating optical coupler has a wavelength dependent or frequency dependent output phase difference in the passband of the circuit so that it can change the transmittance characteristics of the optical multi/demultiplexing circuit.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for providing a time slot switch which performs switching in the optical domain without the need for O-E-O conversion is described. The time slot switching device of the present invention may be part of a large switching device capable of performing switching and other function on WDM, TDM and WDM signals which are time division multiplexed. An optical time slot switch implemented using a time slot demultiplexer, optical cross-connect, variable delay lines and time slot multiplexer are described. Frequency conversion may be performed on a per time slot basis in cases where time slot signals are switched between lines using different wavelengths. Wave division demultiplexers and multiplexers can be added to the basic time slot switch to provide support for WDM switching and switching of TDM signals which are transmitted using wave division multiplexing.

Abstract: A technique for routing data within an optical network having a plurality of network nodes is disclosed. In one embodiment, the technique is realized by receiving data at a first network node via a first optical signal having a first wavelength. The first wavelength corresponds to a first optical frequency, and the first optical frequency is mapped to a first binary representation. The first binary representation is divided into a first plurality of fields, wherein at least one of the first plurality of fields corresponds to a routing label in a first label stack. A top routing label in the first label stack indicates a second network node. Based at least partially upon the top routing label, the data is transmitted from the first network node to the second network node via a second optical signal having a second wavelength. The first wavelength may be either the same as or different from the second wavelength.

Abstract: For suppressing intra-channel four wave mixing in a time division multiplexing (TDM) system, where N synchronous data streams, each having a reduced data pulse width within a bit slot timing interval, from parallel to serial form, are converted for optically bit interleaving the N synchronous data streams into the optical communication link at a nominal bit slot delay between sequential N synchronous data streams related to the bit slot timing interval to provide a serial data sequence of short optical pulses having an equal bit slot delay between sequential pulses, a sequential bit slot delay is varied between two of the short optical pulses to provide an unequal bit slot delay between sequential pulses within the serial data sequence of short optical pulses for suppression of undesired intra-channel four-wave mixing pulses among the pulses and thereby, improvement of transmission performance.