Integrated all-optical programmable logic array based on semiconductor optical amplifiers.

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Optical Computing
• Integrated Optics

Background:

• Programmable logic arrays (PLAs) are crucial for implementing complex combinational logic functions.
• All-optical devices offer potential advantages in speed and power consumption over electronic counterparts.
• Previous all-optical PLAs faced challenges in integration, speed, and reconfigurability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and experimentally demonstrate an integrated all-optical programmable logic array (PLA).
• To achieve high-speed operation at 40 Gb/s for complex logic functions.
• To enhance reconfigurability and direct output of logic functions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a delay interferometer (DI) for input signal pre-coding and enhanced reconfigurability.
• Employed semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) of varying lengths as nonlinear media.
• Generated canonical logic units (CLUs) via four-wave mixing in longer SOAs.
• Selected CLUs using shorter SOAs for direct output of reconfigurable logic functions.

Main Results:

• Successfully realized all required canonical logic units (CLUs).
• Achieved high optical signal-to-noise ratios (OSNR) exceeding 22 dB.
• Experimentally demonstrated exclusive NOR and exclusive OR gates using the developed all-optical PLA.
• Validated the 40 Gb/s operation speed of the integrated device.

Conclusions:

• The integrated all-optical PLA is a viable device for high-speed optical complex logic.
• The proposed scheme effectively achieves reconfigurable logic functions with high OSNR.
• This work advances the development of all-optical computing components.