All-optical time-domain IP router using optical limiters

It has previously been shown that a wide number of optical logic functions can be performed using single or sets of optical limiters with optical transfer functions. The derived optical logic functions make use of a ternary logic system, in which normalised power levels of 0, 1 and 2 are each discretely valued in the system and enable the implementation of a complete logic set. A useful and practical application to be implemented using these all-optical logic gates is a true all-optical packet router. Our router design reads the header on an optical time-domain packet, determines its destination address, and transmits the signal along any given output path