Optical square-wave clock generation based on an all-optical flip-flop

We demonstrate optical square-wave clock generation based on an all-optical flip-flop. The bistable output power from a resonant-type semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) is switched ON and OFF by modulating its input with its output via cross-gain modulation in a traveling-wave SOA. AU active components are driven by dc currents, and the wavelength and clock frequency are selectable. A clock frequency of 3.5 MHz is demonstrated, limited by the time of flight between bulk optical components. Optical square-wave clock signals are promising for applications in photonic integrated circuits and all-optical signal processing. © 2010 IEEE.