RU2419126C1 - Optical analogue nano-multiplexer - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: physics.

SUBSTANCE: nano-multiplexer has M input optical nanofibres, M optical nanofibres, an optical M-input nanofibre coupler, two extensible nanotubes, a constant optical signal source, an optical nanofibre N-output splitter, control optical nanofibre and an optical nanofibre N-input coupler. The extensible nanotubes lie between the output of the control optical nanofibre and the output of the optical N-input nanofibre coupler such that in the outermost left side position, the inner nanotube breaks optical connections between outputs of the N-output optical nanofibre splitter and inputs of the N-input optical nanofibre splitter, as well as optical connections between outputs of the M input optical nanofibres and inputs of the M optical nanofibres.

EFFECT: multiplexing optical analogue signals by connecting one of the data inputs of the device to its output depending on the state of the address input with high speed, simplification of the device and nanosize design.

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Description

The invention relates to computer aids and can be used in optical information processing devices in the development and creation of optical computers and transceivers.

Various multiplexers based on the use of electronic functional elements are known [W. Titze, K. Schenck. Semiconductor circuitry. - M .: Mir, 1983], providing the connection of one of the information inputs to its output, depending on the state of the address inputs. The disadvantage of these multiplexers is the great complexity and low speed, which decreases with increasing number of inputs of the multiplexer.

The closest to the technical implementation of the proposed device is an optical multiplexer-demultiplexer containing sequentially installed and optically connected to each other a common path, a beam splitter, focusing elements and individual paths for separate transmission of signals of different wavelengths [patent No. 2199823, Russia, 2003. Optical multiplexer-demultiplexer / Doskolovich L.L., Karpeev S.V., Kazansky N.L., Soifer V.A.].

The disadvantages of this optical multiplexer-demultiplexer are its complexity and the impossibility of nanoscale execution.

The claimed invention is aimed at solving the problem of multiplexing optical analog signals - connecting one of the information inputs of the device to its output, depending on the state of the address input with a speed that is potentially achievable for purely optical information processing devices, the task of simplifying the device, and the task of implementing the device in nanoscale design.

The tasks set arise in the development and creation of optical computing nanomachines or transceiver nanodevices that provide information processing in the tera and gigahertz ranges.

The claimed device is built on the basis of optical nanofibers, technical options for which are described in [Optics of nanostructures / Edited by A.V. Fedorov: St. Petersburg. Nedra, 2005; Krenn J.R., Dereux A., Weeber J.C., et al. Squeezing the optical near-field zone by plasmon coupling of metal nanoparticles. Physical Review Letters, 1999, 82, 12, 2590], and telescopic nanotubes, which refers to a pair of nanotubes embedded in each other [Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes as Gigahertz Oscillators / Quanshui Zheng, Qing Jiang // Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 045503, 28 January, 2002].

The essence of the invention lies in the fact that M input optical nanofibers, M optical nanofibers, an optical M-input nanofiber combiner, two telescopic nanotubes, a constant optical signal source, an optical nanofiber N-output splitter, a control optical nanofiber, an optical N-nanofiber are introduced into the device an input combiner, the information inputs of the device being the inputs of the input optical nanofibres, the control input of the device is the input of the controlling optical nano-fiber, the output of the constant optical signal source is connected to the input of the optical nanofiber N-output splitter, the outputs of the optical nanofiber N-output splitter are optically connected to the inputs of the optical nanofiber N-input combiner, the outputs of the input M optical nanofibers are optically connected to the inputs of the M optical nanofibers, the outputs M optical nanofibres are optically coupled to the inputs of the optical M-input nanofiber combiner, input optical nanofibres, and optically the N-fiber nanofiber splitter is located in mutually perpendicular planes, the telescopic nanotubes are located between the output of the control optical nanofiber and the output of the optical N-input nanofiber combiner along the propagation axis of their output optical signals so that in the extreme left position the inner nanotube breaks the optical connections between the N outputs the output optical nanofiber splitter and the inputs of the N input optical nanofiber combiner, as well as optical connections between the outputs M of the input optical nanofibers and the inputs of the M optical nanofibers, while the optical connections between the outputs of the M optical nanofibres and the inputs of the optical nanofiber N-input combiner, the output of the device Y is the output of the optical nanofiber M-input combiner.

The drawing shows a functional diagram of an optical analog nanomultiplexer (OANM).

The device consists of M input optical nanofibres 1 _i , i = 1, M, M optical nanofibres 2 _i , i = 1, M, optical M-input nanofiber combiner 3, two telescopic nanotubes 4 _i , i = 1,2 (4 ₁ - internal nanotube, 4 ₂ - external nanotube), a source of constant optical signal 5, an optical nanofiber N-output splitter 6, a control optical nanofiber 7, an optical nanofiber N-input combiner 8.

The information inputs of the device “D ₁ -D _M ” are the inputs of the input optical nanofibres 1 _i , i = 1, M. The control input of the device is the input of the control optical nanofiber 7. The output of the device Y is the output of the optical nanofiber M-input combiner 3.

The output of the constant optical signal source 5 is connected to the input of the optical nanofiber N-output splitter 6. The outputs of the optical nanofiber N-output splitter 6 are optically coupled to the inputs of the optical nanofiber N-input combiner 8.

The outputs M of the input optical nanofibres 1 _i , i = 1, M, are optically coupled to the inputs of M optical nanofibres 2 _i , i = 1, M. The outputs M of the optical nanofibres 2 _i , i = 1, M, are optically coupled to the inputs of the optical M-input nanofiber combiner 3.

The luminous flux from the input optical nanofibres 1 _i , i = 1, M, and the optical nanofibres 2 _i , i = 1, M, propagates along the OY axis, the luminous flux from the optical nanofiber N-output splitter 6 propagates along the OZ axis (see drawing )

Telescopic nanotubes 4 ₁ , 4 ₂ are located between the output of the control optical nanofiber 7 and the output of the optical N-input nanofiber combiner 8 along the propagation axis of their output optical signals. Under the influence of the pressure difference of the light fluxes (the optical power difference of 1-5 watts creates a pressure difference of 5-15 nN), the inner nanotube 4 ₁ will move towards the optical flow with a lower intensity (it must be borne in mind that the minimum required pressure to move the nanotube compiles attonewtons [Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes as Gigahertz Oscillators / Quanshui Zheng, Qing Jiang // Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 045503, January 28, 2002]).

In the extreme left (initial) position, the inner nanotube 4 ₁ breaks the optical links between the outputs of the N-output optical nanofiber splitter 6 and the inputs of the N-input optical nanofiber combiner 8, as well as the optical links between the outputs M of the input optical nanofibres 1 _i , i = 1, M, and the inputs of M optical nanofibres 2 _i , i = 1, M. In this case, optical connections between the outputs M of the optical nanofibres 1 _i , i = 1, M, and the inputs of the optical nanofiber N-input combiner 3 are present.

The device operates as follows.

From the output of the source of constant optical signal 5, a signal with an intensity of N · K srvc. units (N is the number of outputs of the N-output optical nanofiber splitter 6) is fed to the input of the N-output optical nanofiber splitter 6, from each output of which a constant optical signal with an intensity of K conv. units

Before the optical control (address) signal is fed to input “A”, the device is in its initial (initial) state - the inner nanotube 4 ₁ is in the extreme left (initial) position, which is provided by the feedback signal from the output of the N-input optical nanofiber combiner 8.

In the extreme left position, the inner nanotube 4 ₁ breaks the optical links between the outputs of the optical nanofibres 1 ₁ -1 _M and the inputs of the optical nanofibres 2 ₁ -2 _M.

Let the optical signal with a known predetermined intensity I ₁ , providing switching of the input signal X ₁ from the input D ₁ to the output of the device, be fed to the input of device “A”. Then, the difference of light pressures will act on the inner nanotube 4 ₁ : pressure proportional to the intensity of the light flux at the output of the control optical nanofiber 7 - F = Z · I ₁ (Z is the proportionality coefficient) and pressure proportional to the intensity of the light flux at the output of the N-input optical nanofiber combiner 8 (initially equal to zero).

Under the influence of the light pressure difference, the inner nanotube 4 ₁ from the extreme left position will begin to move to the right, the light flux at the output of the N-input optical nanofiber combiner 8 will begin to increase in proportion to the amount of movement “X” of the inner nanotube 4 ₁ . Because the lengths of the right and left parts of the inner nanotube 4 ₁ are units of microns, and the diameters of the optical nanofibers are nanometers, then the change in the X value for clarity of the subsequent presentation can be considered continuous (the discrete nature of the X change does not introduce any fundamental restrictions on the principle of operation of the device ) - the intensity of the light flux at the output of the N-input optical nanofiber combiner 8 will be equal to "K · X", where "K" is the intensity of the constant optical signal.

An optical signal with an intensity of “K · X” forms a negative feedback signal that impedes the movement of the inner nanotube 4 ₁ to the right, its speed decreases, the change in the amount of movement “X” slows down.

At the end of the transition process (at the moment of stopping the inner nanotube 4 ₁ ), the displacement value “X” will be

X ₁ = I ₁ / K.

(The transition time is determined by the mass of the inner nanotube 4 ₁ (≈10 ^-15 -10 ^-16 g), the friction force during its movement (≈10 ^-9 N), the intensity "K" of the constant optical signal, the intensity I of the input optical signal and is ≈10 ^-9 -10 ^-10 s.)

The shift of the inner nanotube 4 ₁ to the right will lead to the formation of a connection between the output of the optical nanofiber 1 ₁ and the input of the optical nanofiber 2 ₁ , but will not lead to a break in the optical connections between the outputs of the nanofibres 2 ₁ ... 2 _M and the inputs of the optical nanofiber N-input combiner 3. Optical signal from input D ₁ will go to output Y.

Now, let a control optical signal with intensity I ₂ (I ₂ > I ₁ ) be supplied to the input of device “A”, which ensures switching of the input signal X ₂ from input D ₂ to the output of the device. Then the inner nanotube 4 ₁ will again begin to move to the right. At the end of the transition process, the amount of displacement "X" will be equal to

X ₂ = I ₂ / K.

In position X _{2, the} inner nanotube 4 ₁ does not prevent the formation of optical links between the outputs of the optical nanofibres 1 ₁ and 1 ₂ and the inputs of the optical nanofibres 2 ₁ and 2 ₂ , but breaks the optical connection between the output of the nanofibers 2 ₁ and the first input of the optical nanofiber M-input combiner 3. The optical signal from input D ₂ will go to output Y.

When a control optical signal with an intensity of I ₃ (I ₃ > I ₂ ) is supplied to the input of device “A”, which ensures switching of the input signal X ₃ from the input D ₃ to the output of the device, the inner nanotube 4 ₁ will stop at position X ₃ .

In position X _{3, the} inner nanotube 4 ₁ does not prevent the formation of links between the outputs of the optical nanofibers 1 ₁ ... 1 ₃ and the inputs of the optical nanofibres 2 ₁ ... 2 ₃ , but it breaks the optical links between the outputs of the nanofibres 2 ₁ , 2 ₂ and the inputs of the optical nanofiber N-input combiner 3. The optical signal from input D ₃ will go to output Y.

When other control signals are supplied to the control input “A”, the device will work similarly: when an optical signal with an intensity I _{p is} fed to the input of the device “A”, the inner nanotube 4 ₁ will stop at position X _P. In this case, the inner nanotube 4 ₁ does not prevent the formation of bonds between the outputs of optical nanofibers from 1 ₁ to 1 _P and the inputs of optical nanofibres from 2 ₂ to 2 _P , but it breaks the optical connections between the outputs of nanofibers from 2 ₁ to 2 _P-1 and the inputs of optical nanofiber N-input combiner 3. The optical signal from input D _P will go to output Y.

Thus, depending on the intensity of the signal at the input “A”, one of the inputs “D ₁ -D _M ” will be connected to the output “Y”.

The simplicity of this optical analog nanomultiplexer, high speed and the possibility of nanoscale execution make it very promising for the development and creation of optical computing nanomachines and transceiver nanodevices.

Claims (1)

An optical analog nanomultiplexer, characterized in that M input optical nanofibers, M optical nanofibers, an optical M-input nanofiber combiner, two telescopic nanotubes, a constant optical signal source, an optical nanofiber N-output splitter, a control optical nanofiber, an optical nanofiber N are introduced into it -input combiner, and the information inputs of the device are the inputs of the input optical nanofibers, the control input of the device is the input of a branching optical nanofiber, the output of a constant optical signal source is connected to the input of an optical nanofiber N-output splitter, the outputs of an optical nanofiber N-output splitter are optically connected to the inputs of an optical nanofiber N-input combiner, the outputs of M input optical nanofibers are optically connected to the inputs of M optical nanofibers the outputs of the M optical nanofibers are optically coupled to the inputs of the optical M-input nanofiber combiner, the input optical nano the local and the optical nanofiber N-output splitter are located in mutually perpendicular planes, telescopic nanotubes are located between the output of the control optical nanofiber and the output of the optical N-input nanofiber combiner along the propagation axis of their output optical signals so that in the extreme left position the internal nanotube breaks the optical connections between the outputs of the N-output optical nanofiber splitter and the inputs of the N-input optical nanofiber initelya and optical connection between the outputs of M input optical nanofibers and M optical inputs nanofibers thus optical connection between the outputs of the M optical inputs and optical nanofibers nanofiber N-input combiner present, Y is the output of the output optical nanofiber M-input combiner.