All-optical clock recovery and dynamics using mode-locked semiconductor lasers

Summary form only given. Ultrafast timing and clocking control is of critical importance in high-speed optical time-domain multiplexed (OTDM) networks. Key figures of merit for all-optical clock recovery are: 1) a low injection power; 2) an immunity to long bit patterns containing primarily logical zeros; 3) insensitivity to detuning between the clock rate and data rate; and 4) capability for data rate conversion. In this paper, we present results on the dynamics of all-optical clock recovery using passively mode-locked semiconductor lasers. Clock recovery with 3 microwatts injection power, a fractional locking bandwidth of 3/spl times/10/sup -3/, immunity to bit patterns of 2/sup 50/-1, and a 3:1 data to clock rate conversion is achieved. These results show the potential of passively mode-locked diode lasers as clock recovery oscillators for ultrahigh-speed OTDM networks.