2-bit optical buffering using polarization bistable VCSELs

摘要

Optical packet-switched networks may be emerging as a potential candidate in the evolution of optical networks. To handle contention for output ports of an optical packet-switching node, a high-speed, low-power optical memory for buffering data is required. We proposed an optical buffer memory using a polarization bistable vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) [1], and reported an experimental demonstration of 1-bit optical buffering which is an essential part of the memory [2]. In this presentation, 2-bit optical buffering, which is the expansion from the 1-bit buffering, has been experimentally demonstrated using two polarization bistable VCSELs. The polarization switching operation of two VCSELs by the injection lights with the same wavelength is an important step to realize the multi-bit optical buffer memory.