Communication methods, systems and devices
The ability to efficiently and reliably transmit, route and receive data across telecommunication networks is essential for existing and evolving applications where connectivity to these networks is a ubiquitous aspect of society today. However, limitations in existing telecommunication networks impact this through performance, cost, and speed. To address this the inventor has established improvements with respect to routing (switching), processing, and monitoring. For routing low latency switch architectures for improving packet-based data switching are described. For processing digital optical logic devices and digital optical processing structures for enhanced functionality and processing within optical telecommunication networks are described. For monitoring improved optical connectors which provide embedded monitoring and analytical functionality for improved management of optical telecommunication networks are described.
1 . A photonic device comprising:
an optical waveguide structure for generating an output in dependence upon a phase shift induced within a predetermined portion of the optical waveguide structure;
an optical waveguide coupled to a photodetector for receiving an optical signal; and
another optical waveguide coupled to another photodetector for receiving another optical signal; wherein
the phase shift induced within the predetermined portion of the optical waveguide structure is established in dependence upon a magnitude of the optical signal coupled to the photodetector;
another phase shift is induced within another predetermined portion of the optical waveguide structure;
the another phase shift is established in dependence upon a magnitude of the another optical signal coupled to the another photodetector;
the photonic device has a first input port, a second input port and a pair of output ports wherein optical output signals on the pair of output ports are complementary;
the optical signal is coupled to one of the first input port of the photonic device and the second input port of the photonic device;
the another optical signal is coupled to the other of the first input port of the photonic device and the second input port of the photonic device; and
whether the optical signal is coupled to the one of the first input port of the photonic device and the second input port of the photonic device is established in dependence upon whether the photonic device performs as a logical inverter of the other optical signal or a buffer of the other optical signal.
2 . A photonic device comprising:
an optical waveguide structure for generating an output in dependence upon a phase shift induced within a predetermined portion of the optical waveguide structure;
an optical waveguide coupled to a photodetector for receiving an optical signal; and
another optical waveguide coupled to another photodetector for receiving another optical signal; wherein
the phase shift induced within the predetermined portion of the optical waveguide structure is established in dependence upon a magnitude of the optical signal coupled to the photodetector;
another phase shift is induced within another predetermined portion of the optical waveguide structure;
the another phase shift is established in dependence upon a magnitude of the another optical signal coupled to the another photodetector;
the photonic device has a first input port, a second input port, a first output port and a second output port wherein optical output signals on the first output port and second output port are complementary;
the first input port receives a data stream comprising optical signals representing logical “1”;
the optical signal coupled to the photodetector is a tapped portion of one of the output optical signal at the first output port and the one of the output optical signal at the second output port;
the another optical signal coupled to the another photodetector is a tapped portion of the other of the output optical signal at the first output port and the one of the output optical signal at the second output port; and
whether the optical signal is coupled to the one of the output optical signal at the first output port and the one of the output optical signal at the second output port is established in dependence upon whether the photonic device performs as an optical oscillator or an optical amplifier.
3 . A photonic device comprising:
an optical waveguide structure for generating an output in dependence upon a phase shift induced within a predetermined portion of the optical waveguide structure;
an optical waveguide coupled to a photodetector for receiving an optical signal;
another optical waveguide coupled to another photodetector for receiving another optical signal;
a further optical waveguide coupled to a further photodetector for receiving a further optical signal; and
an additional optical waveguide coupled to an additional photodetector for receiving an additional optical signal; wherein
the phase shift induced within the predetermined portion of the optical waveguide structure is established in dependence upon a magnitude of the optical signal coupled to the photodetector;
the electrical outputs of the photodetector and another photodetector are combined to generate the phase shift within the predetermined portion of the waveguide structure;
the electrical outputs of the further photodetector and the additional photodetector are combined to generate another phase shift within an other predetermined portion of the waveguide structure; and
the photonic device performs the function of a logical NAND optical gate.
4 . The photonic device according to claim 3 , wherein
the waveguide structure is a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI);
the predetermined portion of the waveguide structure is one arm of the MZI; and
the other predetermined portion of the waveguide structure is the arm of the MZI.
5 . The photonic device according to claim 3 , wherein
the waveguide structure is a ring-resonator with a central ring portion, a first waveguide coupled to the central ring portion via adiabatic coupling, and a second waveguide coupled to the central ring portion via adiabatic coupling;
the predetermined portion of the waveguide structure is a first region of the central ring portion; and
the other predetermined portion of the waveguide structure is a second region of the central ring portion.
6 . A photonic device comprising:
an optical waveguide structure for generating an output in dependence upon a phase shift induced within a predetermined portion of the optical waveguide structure; and
an optical waveguide coupled to a photodetector for receiving an optical signal; wherein
the phase shift induced within the predetermined portion of the optical waveguide structure is established in dependence upon a magnitude of the optical signal coupled to the photodetector;
the optical waveguide structure forms part of a diode;
the diode and photodetector are connected disposed in parallel between ground and an electrical node;
the electrical node is connected to a bias voltage via a resistor; and
the output of the optical waveguide structure is a phase shifted optical signal established in dependence upon an optical signal coupled to the optical waveguide structure and the induced phase shift.
7 . The photonic device according to claim 6 , wherein
the photodetector is disposed within the optical waveguide and absorbs a percentage of the optical signal; and
a non-absorbed percentage of the optical signal continues propagation to another portion of the photonic device.
8 . A photonic device comprising:
an optical waveguide structure for generating an output in dependence upon a phase shift induced within a predetermined portion of the optical waveguide structure; and
an optical waveguide coupled to a photodetector for receiving an optical signal; wherein
the phase shift induced within the predetermined portion of the optical waveguide structure is established in dependence upon a magnitude of the optical signal coupled to the photodetector;
the optical waveguide structure forms part of an arm of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer where the output is a phase shifted optical signal established in dependence upon an optical signal coupled to the arm of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer and the induced phase shift;
the photonic device further comprises:
another optical waveguide structure disposed within the other arm of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer for generating another output in dependence upon another phase shift induced within a predetermined portion of the another optical waveguide structure; and
a further optical waveguide coupled to another photodetector for receiving another optical signal;
the another output of the another optical waveguide structure is a phase shifted optical signal established in dependence upon another optical signal coupled to the other arm of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer and the another induced phase shift;
the diode and photodetector are disposed in parallel between ground and an electrical node where the electrical node is connected to a bias voltage via a resistor; and
the another diode and another photodetector are connected disposed in parallel between ground and another electrical node where the another electrical node is connected to another bias voltage via another resistor.
9 . The photonic device according to claim 8 , wherein
the photodetector is disposed within the optical waveguide and absorbs a percentage of the optical signal;
the another photodetector is disposed within the further optical waveguide and absorbs a percentage of the another optical signal;
a non-absorbed percentage of the optical signal continues propagation to another portion of the photonic device; and
a non-absorbed percentage of the another optical signal continues propagation to a further portion of the photonic device.
10 . The photonic device according to claim 8 , wherein
the Mach-Zehnder interferometer is a 2×2 Mach-Zehnder interferometer;
the photodetector is disposed within the optical waveguide and absorbs a percentage of the optical signal;
the another photodetector is disposed within the further optical waveguide and absorbs a percentage of the another optical signal;
a non-absorbed percentage of the optical signal is coupled to one input port of the 2×2 Mach-Zehnder interferometer; and
a non-absorbed percentage of the another optical signal is coupled to the other input port of the 2×2 Mach-Zehnder interferometer.
11 . The photonic device according to claim 10 , wherein
the photonic device operates as a logic gate which is one of a logical inverter gate and a logical buffer gate.
12 . The photonic device according to claim 8 , wherein
the Mach-Zehnder interferometer is a 2×2 Mach-Zehnder interferometer;
the optical waveguide is coupled to a tap coupled to one output port of the 2×2 Mach-Zehnder interferometer;
the further optical waveguide is coupled to another tap coupled to the other output port of the 2×2 Mach-Zehnder interferometer;
an input port of the 2×2 Mach-Zehnder interferometer receives a further optical signal which is at a constant optical power and the other input port of the 2×2 Mach-Zehnder interferometer receives no optical signal; and
the photonic device operates as an optical oscillator.
13 . The photonic device according to claim 8 , wherein
the Mach-Zehnder interferometer is a 2×2 Mach-Zehnder interferometer;
the optical waveguide is coupled to a tap coupled to one output port of the 2×2 Mach-Zehnder interferometer;
the further optical waveguide is coupled to another tap coupled to the other output port of the 2×2 Mach-Zehnder interferometer;
an input port of the 2×2 Mach-Zehnder interferometer receives a further optical signal which is at a constant optical power and the other input port of the 2×2 Mach-Zehnder interferometer receives no optical signal; and
the photonic device operates as an optical oscillator.
14 . The photonic device according to claim 8 , wherein
the Mach-Zehnder interferometer is a 2×2 Mach-Zehnder interferometer;
the optical waveguide is coupled to a tap coupled to a lower output port of the 2×2 Mach-Zehnder interferometer and forms part of an upper arm of the 2×2 Mach-Zehnder interferometer;
the further optical waveguide is coupled to another tap coupled to an upper output port of the 2×2 Mach-Zehnder interferometer and forms part of a lower arm of the 2×2 Mach-Zehnder interferometer;
an upper input port of the 2×2 Mach-Zehnder interferometer receives an analog modulated optical signal;
the lower input port of the 2×2 Mach-Zehnder interferometer receives another analog modulated optical signal which is the complement of the analog modulated signal; and
the photonic device operates as an all-optical operational amplifier.
15 . A photonic device comprising:
an optical waveguide structure for generating an output in dependence upon a phase shift induced within a predetermined portion of the optical waveguide structure;
an optical waveguide coupled to a photodetector for receiving an optical signal; and
another optical waveguide coupled to another photodetector for receiving another optical signal; wherein
the phase shift induced within the predetermined portion of the optical waveguide structure is established in dependence upon a magnitude of the optical signal coupled to the photodetector;
the optical waveguide structure forms part of a diode;
the photodetector and the another photodetector are disposed in parallel to one another and the combination of the photodetector and the another photodetector are disposed in parallel with the diode between ground and an electrical node;
the electrical node is connected to a bias voltage via a resistor; and
the induced phase shift has a first value when each of the magnitude of the optical signal coupled to the photodetector and the another optical signal coupled to the another photodetector have a defined level and has a second value when at least one of the magnitude of the optical signal coupled to the photodetector and the another optical signal coupled to the another photodetector have another defined value.
16 . A photonic device comprising:
an optical waveguide structure for generating an output in dependence upon a phase shift induced within a predetermined portion of the optical waveguide structure;
an optical waveguide coupled to a photodetector for receiving an optical signal; and
another optical waveguide coupled to another photodetector for receiving another optical signal; wherein
the phase shift induced within the predetermined portion of the optical waveguide structure is established in dependence upon a magnitude of the optical signal coupled to the photodetector;
the optical waveguide structure forms part of a diode;
the photodetector and the another photodetector are disposed in series with one another and the combination of the photodetector and the another photodetector are disposed in parallel with the diode between ground and an electrical node;
the electrical node is connected to a bias voltage via a resistor; and
the induced phase shift has a first value when each of the magnitude of the optical signal coupled to the photodetector and the another optical signal coupled to the another photodetector have a defined level and has a second value when at least one of the magnitude of the optical signal coupled to the photodetector and the another optical signal coupled to the another photodetector have another defined value.