Dynamic behavior of wavelength converters based on FWM in SOAs

As wavelength converters based on four-wave mixing (FWM) in semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) attract more attention, dynamic effects and wavelength dependent performance become key aspects to be investigated. Such issues are particularly important, as complex configurations are likely to be used to overcome challenges like tunability and polarization dependence. In this paper a numerical model is used to predict the dynamic performance of three FWM configurations and an analytical model is used to derive design rules. First, the wavelength dependent behavior of a wavelength converter is investigated and the requirement for a widely tunable converter is identified. Secondly, a configuration for extinction ratio (ER) improvement is studied and novel design rules are obtained analytically, tested experimentally and explained by the numerical model; experimental results with ER improvement at 10 Gb/s were achieved for the first time. The third configuration studied is a dual-pump arrangement enabling wide tunability. Fixed input/tunable output and tunable input/fixed output configurations are discussed in terms of optical signal-to-noise ratio and tunability. Design rules are extracted and verified for all three configurations that are likely to be deployed: simple wavelength converters, regenerating converters and tunable wavelength converters.

[1]  D. Syvridis,et al.  Regenerative properties of wavelength converters based on FWM in a semiconductor optical amplifier , 2003, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[2]  Richard V. Penty,et al.  Wavelength conversion using semiconductor optical amplifiers , 1997 .

[3]  Michael J. Adams,et al.  Theoretical study of GaInNAs-GaAs-based semiconductor optical amplifiers , 2003 .

[4]  C. Gosset,et al.  Extinction ratio improvement and wavelength conversion based on four-wave mixing in a semiconductor optical amplifier , 2001, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[5]  Mark Shtaif,et al.  Calculation of bit error rates in all-optical signal processing applications exploiting nondegenerate few-wave mixing in semiconductor optical amplifiers , 1996 .

[6]  Jesper Mørk,et al.  Saturation induced by picosecond pulses in semiconductor optical amplifiers , 1997 .

[7]  A. Ellis,et al.  100 Gbit/s wavelength conversion using FWM in an MQW semiconductor optical amplifier , 1998 .

[8]  P. Spano,et al.  Efficiency flattening and equalization of frequency up- and down-conversion using four-wave mixing in semiconductor optical amplifiers , 1998, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[9]  P. Spano,et al.  Low-noise and very high-efficiency four-wave mixing in 1.5-mm-long semiconductor optical amplifiers , 1997, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[10]  Byrav Ramamurthy,et al.  Wavelength conversion in WDM networking , 1998, IEEE J. Sel. Areas Commun..

[11]  George Lindfield,et al.  Numerical Methods Using MATLAB , 1998 .

[12]  H. Weber,et al.  Four-wave mixing in semiconductor optical amplifiers for frequency conversion and fast optical switching , 1997 .

[13]  A. Tzanakaki,et al.  Analysis of tunable wavelength converters based on cross-gain modulation in semiconductor optical amplifiers operating in the counter propagating mode , 2000 .

[14]  George Guekos.  Photonic Devices for Telecommunications , 1999 .

[15]  Jichai Jeong,et al.  Analysis of frequency chirping and extinction ratio of optical phase conjugate signals by four-wave mixing in SOA's , 1999 .

[16]  Chao Lu,et al.  Cascaded all-optical wavelength conversion for RZ-DPSK signal based on four-wave mixing in semiconductor optical amplifier , 2004, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[17]  J.P.R. Lacey,et al.  All-optical wavelength translation over 80 nm at 2.5 Gb/s using four-wave mixing in a semiconductor optical amplifier , 1999, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[18]  Y. Ogawa,et al.  160-Gb/s all-optical encoding experiments by four-wave mixing in a gain-clamped SOA with assist-light injection , 2004, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[19]  D. Simeonidou,et al.  Fast and widely tunable optical packet switching scheme based on tunable laser and dual-pump four-wave mixing , 2004, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[20]  Rodney S. Tucker,et al.  Frequency-domain model of multiwave mixing in bulk semiconductor optical amplifiers , 1999 .

[21]  Antonio Mecozzi,et al.  Four-wave mixing in semiconductor optical amplifiers: a practical tool for wavelength conversion , 1997 .

[22]  A. Mecozzi.  Applications of four-wave mixing in semiconductor optical amplifiers , 1998, 24th European Conference on Optical Communication. ECOC '98 (IEEE Cat. No.98TH8398).

[23]  Govind P. Agrawal,et al.  Population pulsations and nondegenerate four-wave mixing in semiconductor lasers and amplifiers , 1988 .

[24]  Steve Madden,et al.  Tunability of polarization-insensitive wavelength converters based on four-wave mixing in semiconductor optical amplifiers , 1998 .

[25]  D. Syvridis,et al.  Investigation of a 2R all-optical regenerator based on four-wave mixing in a semiconductor optical amplifier , 2004, Journal of Lightwave Technology.

[26]  S. L. Danielsen,et al.  All-optical wavelength conversion by semiconductor optical amplifiers , 1996 .

[27]  M.W.K. Mak,et al.  Widely tunable polarization-independent all-optical wavelength converter using a semiconductor optical amplifier , 2000, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[28]  J.P.R. Lacey,et al.  Widely tunable four-wave mixing in semiconductor optical amplifiers with constant conversion efficiency , 1998, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[29]  G. Agrawal.  Fiber‐Optic Communication Systems , 2021 .

[30]  A. Mecozzi,et al.  Analytical theory of four-wave mixing in semiconductor amplifiers. , 1994, Optics letters.

[31]  B. Miller,et al.  Efficiency of broadband four-wave mixing wavelength conversion using semiconductor traveling-wave amplifiers , 1994, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[32]  W. Cai,et al.  Bit-error-rate performance dependence on pump and signal powers of the wavelength converter based on FWM in semiconductor optical amplifiers , 2000 .

[33]  T. Hasegawa,et al.  Polarization independent frequency conversion by fiber four-wave mixing with a polarization diversity technique , 1993, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[34]  A. Kloch,et al.  Wavelength converter technology , 1999 .

[35]  San-Liang Lee,et al.  Performance enhancement on SOA-based four-wave-mixing wavelength conversion using an assisted beam , 2002, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[36]  S. Yoo.  Wavelength conversion technologies for WDM network applications , 1996 .

[37]  Eugenio Iannone,et al.  Wavelength conversion in optical transport networks , 1996 .