Injection-locking laser-diode-based OC-192 optical non-return-to-zero-to-return-to-zero OR logic gate

An OC-192 optical return-to-zero- (RZ-) formatted OR logic gate is experimentally demonstrated and theoretically interpreted for the first time to our knowledge. It is implemented by using a data format converter based on an optically injection-locked Fabry-Perot laser diode (FPLD) modulated in below-threshold condition. By injecting two non-return-to-zero data streams into the FPLD-based OR gate, a peak-power-equalized RZ-formatted OR logic data stream extinction ratio of >8 dB is obtained from the FPLD with optimized rf-modulating and optical injecting powers of 24.7 and >-4 dBm, respectively. The highest data rate of up to 12.5 Gbits/s with a bit error rate (BER) of 10(-13) at a received optical power of >-16 dBm can be achieved by increasing the dc bias current of the FPLD-based RZ-formatted OR logic gate to 8 mA. The OR-gated RZ data stream exhibits a duty cycle (pulse width) of approximately 27% (27 ps) and a 0.5 dB power penalty at a BER of 10(-9) at a data rate of 9.953 Gbits/s.