On-chip photonic spatial-temporal descrambler

As an indispensable part to compensate for the signal crosstalk in fiber communication systems, conventional digital multi-input multi-output (MIMO) signal processor is facing the challenges of high computational complexity, high power consumption and relatively low processing speed. The optical MIMOenables the best use of light and has been proposed to remedy this limitation. However, the currently existing optical MIMO methods are all restricted to the spatial dimension, while the temporal dimension is neglected. Here, an on-chip spatial-temporal descrambler with four channels were devised and its MIMO functions were experimentally verified simultaneously in both spatial and temporal dimensions. The spatial crosstalk of single-channel descrambler and four-channel descrambler is respectively less than -21 dB and -18 dB, and the time delay is simultaneously compensated successfully. Moreover, a more universal model extended to mode-dependent loss and gain (MDL) compensation was further developed, which is capable of being cascaded for the real optical transmission system. The first attempt at photonic spatial-temporal descrambler enriched the varieties of optical MIMO, and the proposed scheme provided a new opportunity for all-optical MIMO signal processing.