Ultrafast Phase Comparator for Phase-Locked Loop-Based Optoelectronic Clock Recovery Systems

The authors report on a novel application of a $\chi^{(2)}$ nonlinear optical device as an ultrafast phase comparator, an essential element that allows an optoelectronic phase-locked loop to perform clock recovery of ultrahigh-speed optical time-division multiplexed (OTDM) signals. Particular interest is devoted to a quasi-phase-matching adhered-ridge-waveguide periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) device, which shows a sufficient high temporal resolution to resolve a 640 Gbits OTDM signal.