Ultrafast optical clock recovery: towards a system perspective

An overview of the most promising optical clock recovery techniques for all-optical ultrafast communication is presented. A step towards a system view for the various techniques is taken, transferring the clock recovery concepts available from the electronic domain into the optical domain, and leading to block diagram interpretation for both open-loop and closed-loop systems. This is essential for future system analyses that will permit design and comparison of different techniques using established analytical tools.