Nonlinear optical loop mirror, design method thereof, and optical signal conversion method

摘要

PPROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a nonlinear optical loop mirror which processes encoding and quantization by an optical signal at high speed. PSOLUTION: The nonlinear optical loop mirror has: an optical fiber; an optical coupler which is connected so as to branch an input optical signal input from an input end of an optical signal into two to be output to both ends of the optical fiber, to branch and output optical signals to be output from both ends of the optical fiber to the input end of the optical signal and an output end of the optical signal; a control light input means for inputting a control optical signal to the optical fiber; and a nonlinear medium to be arranged on the optical path of the optical fiber, and adjusts phase difference of the optical signals input to both ends of the optical fiber by power of the control optical signal and controls the power of the output optical signal to be output from the output end of the optical signal, and suppresses a parametric gain to be generated between each optical signal and the control optical signal so that, in the power of the output optical signal when difference of phase shift to be generated in each optical signal becomes 2nSB/SBby mutual phase modulation to be generated between each optical signal branched into two and the control optical signal, ratio to its maximum value becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. PCOPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT