640 Gbit/s return-to-zero to non-return-to-zero format conversion based on optical linear spectral phase filtering.

Area of Science:

• Optical communications
• Signal processing
• Photonics

Background:

• Telecommunication data formats like return-to-zero (RZ) and non-return-to-zero (NRZ) are fundamental to high-speed data transmission.
• Efficient and all-optical conversion between these formats is crucial for flexible and advanced optical networks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and validate a novel all-optical method for converting RZ data signals to NRZ data signals.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of this conversion at high data rates (640 Gbit/s).

Main Methods:

• The proposed method relies on linear spectral phase manipulation of the RZ data signal.
• Numerical analysis was performed to understand the operation principle.
• Experimental validation was conducted using a commercial optical waveshaper to implement a phase filter.

Main Results:

• Successful all-optical conversion of a 640 Gbit/s coherent RZ signal to its equivalent NRZ time-domain data was achieved.
• The conversion process utilized a simple phase filter, demonstrating the practicality of the approach.

Conclusions:

• The developed approach offers a viable solution for all-optical RZ to NRZ data format conversion.
• This technique has potential applications in future high-capacity and flexible optical communication systems.