Novel flat datacenter network architecture based on scalable and flow-controlled optical switch system.

We propose and demonstrate an optical flat datacenter network based on scalable optical switch system with optical flow control. Modular structure with distributed control results in port-count independent optical switch reconfiguration time. RF tone in-band labeling technique allowing parallel processing of the label bits ensures the low latency operation regardless of the switch port-count. Hardware flow control is conducted at optical level by re-using the label wavelength without occupying extra bandwidth, space, and network resources which further improves the performance of latency within a simple structure. Dynamic switching including multicasting operation is validated for a 4 x 4 system. Error free operation of 40 Gb/s data packets has been achieved with only 1 dB penalty. The system could handle an input load up to 0.5 providing a packet loss lower that 10(-5) and an average latency less that 500 ns when a buffer size of 16 packets is employed. Investigation on scalability also indicates that the proposed system could potentially scale up to large port count with limited power penalty.

Low latency and efficient optical flow control for intra data center networks.

We experimentally demonstrate a highly spectral efficient optical flow control technique for intra data center networks. A bi-directional system is implemented for generating flow control signal by reusing label wavelength and the transmission link within the same WDM channel. Dynamic operation shows high-quality flow control signal with 265 ns latency including 220 ns propagation delay and 500 mV amplitude with low input power and low bias current. Error free operation with 0.5 dB penalty for 40 Gb/s payload indicates that no distortion has been caused due the transmission of label and flow control signal.

320 Gb/s all-optical clock recovery and time de-multiplexing after transmission enabled by single quantum dash mode-locked laser.

We report, to the best of our knowledge, the first demonstration of 320 Gb/s all-optical clock recovery and all-optical time de-multiplexing after 51 km transmission by exploiting single-quantum dash mode-locked laser diode (QD-MLLD). Based on injection locking of the QD-MLLD, the 40 GHz synchronized optical clock pulses were recovered from the 320 Gb/s with a pulse width of 1.9 ps and timing jitter of 135 fs, which allowed directly time de-multiplexing of 320-40 Gb/s without additional complex optoelectronic circuitry. The 320-40 Gb/s all-optical de-multiplexing was achieved with averaging a power penalty of 4.5 dB at BER of 1E-6.

Error-free 320-to-40-Gbit/s optical demultiplexing based on blueshift filtering in a quantum-dot semiconductor optical amplifier.

We present an ultrahigh-speed optical demultiplexing concept based on optical blue-shift filtering in a quantum-dot semiconductor optical amplifier (QD-SOA). Using a simple scheme, a QD-SOA and an optical bandpass filter, we have successfully achieved error-free operations at 40 Gbit/s on all the extracted tributaries from an aggregated traffic at 320 Gbit/s.

A single InP-on-SOI microdisk for high-speed half-duplex on-chip optical links.

We demonstrate for the first time that a single compact, electrically contacted indium phosphide based microdisk heterogeneously integrated on a silicon-on-insulator waveguide can be used as both a high-speed modulator and photo detector. We demonstrate high-speed operation up to 10 Gb/s and present bit-error rate results of both operation modes.

A novel 3D stacking method for Opto-electronic dies on CMOS ICs.

A high speed, high density and potentially low cost solution for realizing a compact transceiver module is presented in this paper. It is based on directly bonding an Opto-electronic die on top of CMOS IC chip and creating a photoresist ramp to bridge the big step (around 220 µm) from Opto-electronic pads to CMOS IC pads. The required electrical connection between them is realized lithographically with a process than can be scaled to full wafer production. A 12-channel transmitter based on the technique was fabricated and test shows good performance up to 12.5 Gb/s/ch.

Introduction: ECOC 2012 in Amsterdam.

We introduce the Optics Express special issue from the 38th European Conference on Optical Communication and Exhibition (ECOC). A total of 134 expanded papers from ECOC 2012 are included in this special issue.

A low-power high-speed InP microdisk modulator heterogeneously integrated on a SOI waveguide.

We report on the modulation characteristics of indium phosphide (InP) based microdisks heterogeneously integrated on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) waveguide. We present static extinction ratios and dynamic operation up to 10 Gb/s. Operation with a bit-error rate below 1 × 10(-9) is demonstrated at 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 Gb/s and the performance is compared with that of a commercial modulator. Power penalties are analyzed with respect to the pattern length. The power consumption is calculated and compared with state-of-the-art integrated modulator concepts. We demonstrate that InP microdisk modulators combine low-power and low-voltage operation with low footprint and high-speed. Moreover, the devices can be fabricated using the same technology as for lasers, detectors and wavelength converters, making them very attractive for co-integration.

Scalable InP integrated wavelength selector based on binary search.

We present an InP monolithically integrated wavelength selector that implements a binary search for selecting one from N modulated wavelengths. The InP chip requires only log(2)N optical filters and log(2)N optical switches. Experimental results show nanosecond reconfiguration and error-free wavelength selection of four modulated wavelengths with 2 dB of power penalty.

320 Gbit/s wavelength conversion using four-wave mixing in quantum-dot semiconductor optical amplifiers.

In this study, we demonstrate error-free all-optical wavelength conversion of ultrahigh-speed intensity modulated signals by means of four-wave mixing in a quantum-dot semiconductor optical amplifier. Error-free performance at a bit rate of 320 Gbit/s is measured for the extracted 40 Gbit/s tributaries with a 3.4 dB average power penalty to the original signal.

InP monolithically integrated wavelength selector based on periodic optical filter and optical switch chain.

We present an InP monolithically integrated wavelength selector that implements a binary search for selecting N modulated wavelengths. The wavelength selector filter is realized using log(2)N an active Mach-Zehnder interferometer filter and broadband optical gating elements. Nanosecond reconfigurable operation with a spectral-alignment over 3.2 nm free spectral range is achieved with an extinction ratio exceeding 25 dB. Error-free operation of the wavelength selector for four modulated wavelengths with 2 dB of power penalty is demonstrated.

Ultrahigh-speed and widely tunable wavelength conversion based on cross-gain modulation in a quantum-dot semiconductor optical amplifier.

We present ultrahigh-speed and full C-band tunable wavelength conversions using cross-gain modulation in a quantum-dot semiconductor optical amplifier (QD-SOA). In this study, we successfully demonstrated error-free 320-Gbit/s operation of an all-optical wavelength converter (AOWC) using the QD-SOA for the first time. We also demonstrated full C-band tunable operation of the AOWC in the wavelength range between 1535 nm and 1565 nm at a bit rate of 160-Gbit/s.

Multichannel wavelength conversion of 50-Gbit/s NRZ-DQPSK signals using a quantum-dot semiconductor optical amplifier.

We demonstrate simultaneous four-channel wavelength conversion of 50-Gbit/s non-return-to-zero differential quadrature-shift-keying signals with a channel spacing of 100-GHz using a quantum-dot semiconductor optical amplifier. Error-free operations with low-power penalties are successfully achieved with various channel configurations.

Clock-distribution with instantaneous synchronization for 160 Gbit/s optical time-domain multiplexed systems packet transmission.

We demonstrate for the first time, to our knowledge, a clock-distribution method for ultra-high-speed optical time-domain multiplexed systems data packets that provides instantaneous synchronization, fast locking/unlocking times, and a highly stable bursty clock, enabling error-free operation of 160 to 10 Gbit/s time demultiplexing with a power penalty of 1.5 dB after 51 km transmission in standard single-mode fiber (ITU G.652).

Fast-synchronization and low-timing-jitter self-clocking concept for 160 Gbit/s optical time-division multiplexing transmissions.

We propose a self-clocking method based on in-band clock pilot insertion at the transmission data signal. The method can achieve clock recovery without the need for an ultrafast phase comparator and a phase-locked loop in the receiver. We demonstrate fast synchronization, low timing jitter, and a highly stable recovered clock from a 160 Gbit/s optical time-division multiplexing data signal after a 51 km fiber transmission. The recovered clock shows no patterning effect with a clock dynamic range of 10 dB for error-free operation of 160 to 40 Gbit/s demultiplexing with a power penalty of 1.1 dB.

Optical injection in semiconductor ring lasers: backfire dynamics.

We report on directional mode switching in semiconductor ring lasers through optical injection co-propagating with the lasing mode. The understanding of this novel feature in ring lasers is based on the particular structure of a two-dimensional asymptotic phase space. Our theoretical results are verified numerically and experimentally.