Simultaneous all-optical digital comparator and dual-directional half-subtractor for two-input 40 Gbit/s DPSK signals employing SOAs

A module of simultaneous implementation of all-optical digital comparator and dual-directional half-subtractor is proposed. Proof-of-concept experiment is performed at 40 Gbit/s employing the four-wave mixing and cross gain modulation in three parallel semiconductor optical amplifiers. All output results with over 10 dB extinction ratios, clear and wide open eye diagrams, are obtained without using assistant/holding light beam. All-optical half-adder can also be obtained by adjusting the phase shifter of delay interferometer in the proposed module because of its inherent reconfigurability and flexibility. The module would be a promising digital logic elementary circuit in all-optical networks and computing systems.