All-optical UWB signal generation and multicasting using a nonlinear optical loop mirror

An all-optical scheme for ultra-wideband (UWB) signal generation (positive and negative monocycle and doublet pulses) and multicasting using a nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) is proposed and demonstrated. Five UWB signals (1 monocycle and 4 doublet pulses) are generated simultaneously from a single Gaussian optical pulse. The fractional bandwidths of the monocycle pulses are approximately 100% while those of the doublet pulses range from 100% to 133%. The UWB signals are then modulated using a 2(15) - 1 pseudorandom bit sequence (PRBS) and error-free performance for each multicast channel is obtained. (C) 2011 Optical Society of America