All-optical logic devices with cascaded nonlinear couplers

The switching behaviors of cascaded nonlinear couplers were investigated. They have nearly ideal digital-switching characteristics, and their output power levels can be adjusted by means of varying the nonlinear coupling coefficient of the final coupler. The two-input excitation nonlinear cascaded couplers can perform not only switching operations but also a series of logic operations. The logic operations depend mainly on the coupling length of the two-input coupler and its initial inputs. The power corresponding to the rising and falling ridge of the logic operating waveforms can be shifted effectively by means of varying the switching power of the reshaper. Allowable ranges of three important parameters - coupling length of the two-input coupler L1, bias optical power Pbia, and phase difference ψ between the signal and bias beams for six fundamental logic operations - were calculated. Curves for design considerations and suggestions for the best choice of parameters for stable and reliable logic operations AND, OR, XOR, NAND, NOR, and NXOR are also presented individually. © 2000 Optical Society of America.