Packet-level synchronization scheme for optical packet switched network nodes

Opt Express. 2006 Dec 25;14(26):12665-9. doi: 10.1364/oe.14.012665.

Abstract

We demonstrate an all-optical, self-synchronization scheme for optical packet switched network nodes. It provides both the packet clock signal and the packet beginning, marker pulse. The circuit uses two hybridly integrated MZI switches and has been evaluated with synchronous, asynchronous and variable length, data packets at 10 Gb/s. It is compact and requires relatively low energies to operate.