Wide-Band Optical Wavelength Converter Based on Four-Wave Mixing Using Optimized Semiconductor Optical Amplifier

Abstract

We have simulated 50 nm up and down wavelength conversion for a non-return to zero differential phase shift keying (NRZ-DPSK) signal using four-wave mixing in an optimized semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) at 10 Gb/s for the first time. For this we optimized the SOA parameters to achieve sufficient quality and enhancement in fourwave mixing effect. This can be done in such a manner that the SOA never saturates and produces maximum four-wave mixing signals with minimum gain fluctuations. The quality of the converted signal is best before the saturation of SOA. Finally, we have numerically simulated cascaded wavelength converters up to 1300 km transmission distance.

All optical wavelength converters based on cross phase modulation in SOA-MZI configuration

“…We achieved the slight high conversion efficiency at 10 Gb/s using FWM in SOA [6]. We can also achieve wavelength conversion at 20 Gb/s and higher bit rate using FWM in SOA [7].…”

“…Hence this meets with requirements for increasing the cascadability of optical networks as reported in Refs. [6,12], where high SNR (Q factor) is required.…”

Enhancement of ring network in presence of optimized semiconductor optical amplifiers

“…With the increase in nodes at the differential gain 260 atto cm 2 , there is improvement in power for the next node's signal, due to improvement in crosstalk and noise. As our SOA model also has wide bandwidth as reported in [15,17], it is used for large nodes in ring networks. …”

Optical Wavelength Converters Based on Four Wave Mixing in SOA-MZI Configuration

“…FWM is the only method with transparent optical properties, due to unchanging nature of the optical properties of the information signal during the conversion process occurring within a SOA [4].Additionally, SOA-based FWM wavelength conversion offers many other attractions; for example high bit capability-up to 10Gb/s [5] or even 20Gb/s [6] have been demonstrated. FWM methods are also capable of operating at high bit rate capability without compromising the extinction ratio.…”