Picosecond-accuracy all-optical bit phase sensing using a nonlinear optical loop mirror

We demonstrate picosecond-accuracy bit phase comparison using a nonlinear optical loop mirror. We use this all-optical bit phase comparator to synchronize an external cavity modelocked diode laser operating at 10-GHz to a soliton compression source operating at 10-GHz using an electrooptic phase lock loop. We believe this is the first demonstration of soliton compression source synchronization. The holding range of the phase lock loop is /spl plusmn/20 MHz, and is limited by the modelocking bandwidth of the external cavity laser. Clock acquisition time is dominated by the latency of the nonlinear optical loop mirror.<>