40 Gb/s Multifunction Optical Format Conversion Module With Wavelength Multicast Capability Using Nondegenerate Four-Wave Mixing in a Semiconductor Optical Amplifier

• Published in: Journal of lightwave technology 2009-10, Vol.27 (20), p.4446-4454
• Main Authors: Bingbing Wu, Bingbing Wu, Songnian Fu, Songnian Fu, Jian Wu, Jian Wu, Ping Shum, Ping Shum, Nam Quoc Ngo, Nam Quoc Ngo, Kun Xu, Kun Xu, Xiaobin Hong, Xiaobin Hong, Jintong Lin, Jintong Lin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Bit error rate; Circuit properties; Coding, codes; Conversion; Differential quadrature phase shift keying; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Format; Four-wave mixing; High speed optical techniques; Information, signal and communications theory; Integrated optics. Optical fibers and wave guides; Mathematical models; Modulation, demodulation; Modules; Multicast; Nondegenerate four-wave mixing (ND-FWM); Nonlinear optics; Optical and optoelectronic circuits; Optical mixing; optical modulation format conversion; optical signal processing; semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA); Semiconductor optical amplifiers; Signal and communications theory; Stimulated emission; Systems, networks and services of telecommunications; Telecommunications; Telecommunications and information theory; Transmission and modulation (techniques and equipments); Wavelength conversion; Wavelength measurement; Wavelengths
• ISSN: 0733-8724; 1558-2213
• DOI: 10.1109/JLT.2009.2024171

A 40 Gb/s multifunction optical format conversion module based on nondegenerate four-wave mixing (ND-FWM) arising in a single semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) is proposed and demonstrated. It has the ability to achieve NRZ-OOK/DPSK/DQPSK to CSRZ-OOK/DPSK/DQPSK, RZ-OOK/DPSK/DQPSK to CSRZ-OOK/DPSK/DQPSK, and CSRZ-OOK/DPSK/DQPSK to RZ-OOK/DPSK/DQPSK format conversions. A comprehensive dynamic model to investigate twelve FWM-related waves in SOA is presented. Using this model, the proposed module with multiple format conversions is numerically investigated. We find that the SOA based scheme can be used for high-speed all-optical multifunction format conversion, because one of the FWM participators also serves as an assist light to accelerate SOA gain recovery. Meanwhile three identical converted signals with different wavelengths can be obtained simultaneously for all-optical wavelength multicast application. Finally, the bit-error-rate (BER) measurements of some 10 Gb/s operations are demonstrated in order to further verify the proposed multifunction format conversion module. The power penalty is measured to be less than 1 dB at the BER level of 10 -9 .