Spatial-spectral holographic real-time correlative optical processor with >100  Gb/s throughput.

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Signal Processing
• Holography

Background:

• Traditional signal processing methods face limitations in handling ultra-high bandwidths.
• Spatial-Spectral Holographic (SSH) technology offers a novel approach for optical signal processing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a fully programmable, all-optical, time-domain signal correlator.
• To showcase the capabilities of SSH technology for high-speed signal correlation.

Main Methods:

• Development of an all-optical signal correlator utilizing spatial-spectral holographic (SSH) technology.
• Experimental validation using phase-shift keyed modulation formats for digital and analog correlation.
• Integration of improved photonic components and cryogenic SSH for enhanced performance.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated asynchronous and continuous operation on signals up to 32 GHz bandwidth.
• Achieved a time-bandwidth product exceeding 10^4, equivalent to teraflop-scale processing.
• Showcased correlation of plain text ASCII data at 200 Gbps with minimal latency.

Conclusions:

• The developed SSH signal correlator enables ultra-high-speed, low-latency signal processing.
• The technology holds potential for applications in high-bandwidth analog and multi-level signal analysis.
• Advancements in photonic components and cryogenic SSH are key enablers for these high-performance demonstrations.