On-Chip Programmable Nonlinear Optical Signal Processor and Its Applications
Chaoran Huang, Aashu Jha, Thomas Ferreira de Lima, Alexander N. Tait, Bhavin J. Shastri, Paul R. Prucnal
Abstract
We introduce an integrated device based on microring resonator (MRR) assisted Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) preceded by a tunable MZ coupler for nonlinear optical signal processing. The novel structure of this device provides both high programmability and switching contrast. These desirable features suggest its potential use as a multi-purpose optical processor providing different high-performance functionalities. We experimentally demonstrate two functionalities using the same device fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator substrate. One functionality is an all-optical thresholder enabling 40× signal contrast improvement, and the other functionality is clock-less pulse carving technique that converts long-pulse signals to short-pulse signals. With these functionalities, we discuss system-level applications of our device in optical interconnects and photonic neural networks.