Abstract
Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed the first all-optical carrier phase and polarization recovery scheme for Phase-Shift Key (PSK) signals. The technique also provides a means to carry out reliable optical carrier synchronization using a phase sensitive oscillator. Coherent optical communication is an active area in modern optics research.
Most existing strategies use interference between an incoming optical signal and a local oscillator signal for phase recovery. However, phase recovery schemes such as phase-locked loops and injection locking, are only effective if optical carrier information is available. Hence, efficient carrier phase and polarization recovery is important. The absence of reliable carrier recovery technologies thus poses a challenge and hindrance to the frequent use of coherent optical communication. In addition, all-optical signal processing techniques for coherent optical modulated signals such as regeneration of PSK, require a polarization and phase locked local oscillator.
Technical Details
The UCF invention comprises a system and methods for optical carrier phase and polarization recovery. In one embodiment, an optical transmitter transmits an optical signal to an optical carrier synchronizer, which includes a phase-sensitive oscillator. Use of the phase-sensitive oscillator results in a recovered optical carrier being output from the optical carrier synchronizer. In the example, the optical carrier synchronizer consists of a pump generator that provides a pump signal, or "pump," to the phase-sensitive oscillator via an optical coupler. The phase-sensitive oscillator can include a phase-sensitive amplifier with a nonlinear optical fiber loop mirror (NOLM), a polarization controller. It can also include a reflector in the form of a fiber Bragg grating (FBG ).
Benefit
Only system to accomplish all-optical carrier phase recoveryReliable optical carrier synchronizationMarket Application
Optical regeneration of optical phase modulated signals transmitted over long distancesCoherent optical communication systems
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