All-Optical Priority Encoder Using Semiconductor Optical Amplifier Architecture

Abstract

The digital systems or networks using photon-integrated circuits offer high-speed and energy-efficient functionalities. The optical digital devices are an integrated part of advanced signal processing which indeed is an essential requirement of next-generation optical networks and computing. A priority encoder accepts multiple input signals at the same time and after identifying the priority of the requested inputs encodes the priority of the input signals accordingly. This paper demonstrates the design and operation of a 4:2 priority encoder employing semiconductor optical amplifier-based Mach–Zehnder interferometers. The input data signals to the priority encoder have been applied at same wavelengths. The three encoded signals also appear at the output of priority encoder at the same wavelength. Simulation timing diagrams of the proposed logic device verifying the correct logic bit patterns have been obtained at 10 Gb/s.