Picosecond optical switching using RF non-linear transmission lines

US8693893B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University · US

Inventors

• David M. S. Johnson · Wilmington, US
• Jason Hogan · Eden Prairie, US
• Sheng-wey Chiow · Palo Alto, US
• Mark A. Kasevich · Palo Alto, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 10, 2011
• Grant date: Apr 8, 2014
• Expiry date: Feb 16, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H03K5/14
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Optical phase modulators are disposed in separate arms of an optical interferometer for forming short optical pulses. The optical phase modulators are driven by signals from an electrical nonlinear transmission line (NLTL). A time delay (typically on the order of the NLTL fall time) is introduced between the NLTL signals in the two arms of the interferometer. With this arrangement, the interferometer provides short optical pulses at its output. In one experiment, 70 ps switching was demonstrated using discrete LiNbO3 traveling wave electro-optic modulators and commercially available NLTLs capable of delivering a 35 ps falling edge. A preferable approach is to integrate the NLTLs with the phase modulators, to further improve bandwidth. This fast switch can be used for various applications, such as implementing an Optical Time Division Multiplexing (OTDM) network architecture, and providing arbitrary waveform generation (AWG) capability.