Dynamic O-band to C-band wideband wavelength converter for integrated VCSEL-based optical interconnects

• Published in: Journal of modern optics 2019-09, Vol.66 (16), p.1637-1643
• Main Authors: Isoe, G. M., Boiyo, D. K., Gibbon, T. B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Broadband; C band; Conversion; Converters; interconnect; optical communication; Optical interconnects; Routing; switching; VCSEL; wavelength conversion
• ISSN: 0950-0340; 1362-3044
• DOI: 10.1080/09500340.2019.1654626

Real-time wavelength conversion and traffic routing at key network nodes is a fundamental requirement for current optical interconnects. This work experimentally demonstrates a broadband wavelength conversion from O-band to C-band employing commercially available, power efficient VCSELs. A 1310 nm VCSEL is directly modulated with 8.5 Gbps data and transmitted over 22 km G. 652 fibre with a 0.53 dB penalty. The received data is used to run a 1550 nm VCSEL located at the network integration node, achieving the first reported wavelength conversion from O-to-C-band. VCSEL wavelength tuneability with changing bias current functionality is further exploited to route the converted wavelength over 400 GHz spectra range for integration into wavelength flexible networks. The newly converted wavelength is transmitted over 24.7 km of G. 655 fibre, incurring a maximum penalty of 1.86 dB. Results from this work proves an enabling development technology for wavelength converters for transparent contention resolution in current and future optical Interconnects.