All-optical access node using a novel self-synchronization scheme

Summary form only given. We demonstrate all-optical serial processing for a 100-Gbit/s access node using a novel self-synchronization scheme, which utilizes gain saturation in a semiconductor laser amplifier (SLA) followed by self-phase modulation (SPM) in an optical fiber. The contrast ratio for the header processor is 10:1 and for the demultiplexer is 20:1. Our design avoids the complexity of generating and propagating marker pulses because all pulses in the frame can be identical.