Compact all-optical packet clock and data recovery circuit using generic integrated MZI switches

Area of Science:

• Optical engineering
• Integrated photonics
• Telecommunications

Background:

• Clock and Data Recovery (CDR) is crucial for high-speed data transmission.
• Existing CDR circuits often require complex electronic components.
• Need for compact and efficient optical CDR solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present and evaluate a novel, compact, all-optical CDR circuit.
• To demonstrate its performance with short packet-mode traffic.
• To assess its suitability for high-speed optical networks.

Main Methods:

• Utilized integrated Mach Zehnder interferometric switches for the CDR circuit.
• Tested operation with variable length packet-mode traffic.
• Evaluated clock signal acquisition and decay times.
• Demonstrated error-free performance at 10 Gb/s.

Main Results:

• Successful operation of the all-optical CDR circuit demonstrated.
• Rapid clock signal acquisition (within 2 bits) and decay (within 15 bits) achieved.
• Performance was independent of packet length and phase.
• Error-free data transmission at 10 Gb/s confirmed.

Conclusions:

• The developed compact, all-optical CDR circuit offers efficient performance.
• It is suitable for packet-mode optical communication systems.
• Integrated Mach Zehnder interferometric switches provide a viable platform for optical CDR.