Demonstration of an All Optical Addressing Circuit

Abstract

This experiment is based on two properties of optical signals, unidirectional propagation and predicatable path delay. Using these properties, logic systems can be devised in which information is encoded as the relative timing of two optical signals. Coincident pulse addressing is an example of such a system. In this case, the address of a detector is encoded as the delay between two optical pulses which traverse independent optical paths to a detector. The delay is encoded to correspond exactly to the difference between the two optical path lengths. Thus, pulse coincidence, a single pulse with power equal to the sum of the two addressing pulses, is seen at the selected detector site. Other detectors along the two optical paths for which the delay did not equal the difference in path length, see both pulses independently, separated in time.