All-Optical Phase Conjugation for Multi-Channel Signal Regeneration

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The conversion of electrical signals to optical signals and vice versa in optical communication links is limited to bandwidths less than about 100 GHz, necessitating complex, bulky, and expensive opto-electro-optical regeneration for high-capacity optical links, especially for wavelength-division multiplexing channels, which is inefficient and costly.

Innovation Solution

An all-optical signal processor with two nonlinear optical processing stages separated by an optical phase conjugator, or a single nonlinear optical processor with phase-conjugated signal propagation, to perform 2R regeneration and suppress nonlinear interactions, while compensating for nonlinear phase noise, suitable for multi-channel operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If opto-electro-optical regeneration is used for high-capacity optical links, then signal quality can be restored, but device complexity, bulk, power consumption, and cost increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignal quality restorationVSAvoidregenerator complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical/electronic opto-electro-optical regeneration system with an all-optical regeneration system. The all-optical regenerator uses nonlinear optical effects (such as self-phase modulation and cross-phase modulation) to restore signal quality without converting to electrical domain, thereby eliminating the complexity, bulk, and power consumption associated with electronic components while maintaining signal restoration capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the operating parameters by using optical intensity and phase modulation instead of electrical signal processing. The nonlinear optical medium transforms the degraded optical signal through intensity-dependent phase modulation, and subsequent optical filtering and detection restore the signal quality purely in the optical domain, avoiding electrical conversion entirely

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If optical bandwidth is split into multiple WDM channels, then transmission capacity increases, but nonlinear interactions among channels increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransmission capacityVSAvoidnonlinear interactions among channels

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an optical phase conjugator as an intermediary component between the nonlinear optical medium and the detection stage. The phase conjugator compensates for nonlinear phase distortions accumulated during propagation through WDM channels by generating a phase-conjugated replica of the signal, which when combined with the original signal, cancels out the nonlinear interactions and restores channel integrity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the harmful nonlinear phase distortions into useful information by using optical phase conjugation. The nonlinear interactions that cause distortion are transformed into phase-modulated sidebands, which are then detected and processed to extract the original signal while eliminating the distortion effects, turning the harmful nonlinearities into a regenerable signal feature

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution provides a compact, cost-effective, and power-efficient optical signal processor capable of handling multiple channels, maintaining phase integrity, and reducing complexity and power consumption, suitable for various communication networks.

Implementation Method 1

the input signal to the first nonlinear optical processor has a nonlinear relationship with an output signal of the first nonlinear optical processor

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectNonlinear optical effect:

Implementation Method 2

an optical phase conjugator optically configured to receive the output signal of the first nonlinear optical processor

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectOptical phase conjugation:

Data Source

PatentUS12537599B2All-optical phase-preserving signal amplitude processors

Publication Date: 2026.01.27 BOARD OF RGT THE UNIV OF TEXAS SYST

AI summary

An all-optical signal processor includes one or more input ports configured to receive one or more optical signal channels, a first nonlinear optical processor configured to receive an input signal from the input port and having one or more sections of a first nonlinear medium, an optical phase conjugator optically configured to receive the output signal of the first nonlinear optical processor, a second nonlinear optical processor configured to receive an output signal from the optical phase conjugator and having one or more sections of a second nonlinear medium, and one or more output ports configured to receive the output signal from the second nonlinear optical processor. Variations of the all-optical signal processor can include a single nonlinear optical processor through which an output of the optical phase conjugator co-propagates or counter-propagates with the input signal.