Real-Time All-Optical Serial-to-Parallel Conversion of Sub-Tbits/s Signals

Abstract

Rapid development of the technologies for generation and shaping of ultrashort optical pulses allow us to produce ultra-high-speed signals over Tbits/s.1-4) We can construct high capacity Tbits/s data processing system by combing this ultrashort optical pulse technology and electronic device technology. For this purpose, we need all optical serial-to-parallel conversion to to transfer the high-bit-rate optical pulses to the slower electronic devices without loosing the data capacity. Recently we have demonstrated a serial-to-parallel conversion of sub-Tbits/s signals using giant excitonic third-order nonlinearity of a ZnSe film.5) The conversion is the transformation from a temporal shape (serial signals) to a spatial pattern (parallel signals) using a nonlinear mixing with a read-out pulse. In the previous report we showed the switching of time-integrated parallel signals responding to the on-off switching of a read-out pulse. In this paper, we report the time-resolved measurement of the parallel signals to confirm the capability of serial-to-parallel conversion at picosecond order. The conversion using second-order nonlinearity is also demonstrated.