Ultrafast optical packet switching using low optical pulse energies in a self-synchronization scheme

A detailed numerical treatment is undertaken to investigate the operating c haracteristics of a self-synchronization scheme based on a modified Teraher tz Optical Asymmetric Demultiplexer (TOAD) device for ultrafast packet swit ching. The simulations agree with published experimental measurements, It i s shown that input picosecond optical pulse energies as low as similar to 1 00 fJ ran be utilized to achieve a larger than 10 dB contrast ratio of the first to the remaining pulses of a transmitted signal packet. The utilizati on of low input pulse energies in the scheme also provides significant adva ntages including insensitivity of contrast ratio to pulse energies and puls e widths as well as distortionless extracted pulse shapes. Means for achiev ing a maximum contrast ratio are identified.