Digital crossbar switch using nonlinear optical ring resonator

Optical elements are preferred to electronic ones for military computing and communications to reduce vulnerability to electromagnetic pulses from nuclear explosion, electromagnetic bombs or lightning. Equations are derived for an optical micro ring resonator and for a nonlinear ring resonator that uses Kerr material so that the resonant frequency changes with light intensity in the ring. The switch can be modulated at faster than 10 Gbps for compatibility with electronic switches and equipment. A two-by-two switch is described based on the nonlinear ring resonator. A Benes network is constructed using the two-by-two switches. This allows full permutations of the inputs by means of an algorithm for setting the switches. Several rings are used for each frequency with slightly different frequencies to allow switching of wavelength division multiplexed signals.

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