Unbalanced TOAD for optical data and clock separation in self-clocked transparent OTDM networks

We simulate and demonstrate a single-beam intensity-thresholding all-optical switch by modifying a terahertz optical asymmetric demultiplexer (TOAD) with an uneven power splitting in the loop. An optimized set of parameters used in the demonstration is found from the simulations considering the saturation of the semiconductor optical amplifier. With 8.7-dB input clock-to-data ratio, the clock-to-data ratio can be suppressed down to -7.4 dB at the reflected (data) port. An amplified output with 3.0 dB clock-to-data ratio improvement was achieved in the transmitted (clock) port at a low switching energy of 150 fJ. The device can be used for clock recovery in self-clocked optical networks.