Optimizing SOA frequency conversion with discriminant filter

Alastair D. McAulay

doi:10.1117/12.570684

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25 October 2004 Optimizing SOA frequency conversion with discriminant filter

Alastair D. McAulay

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Proceedings Volume 5595, Active and Passive Optical Components for WDM Communications IV; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.570684
Event: Optics East, 2004, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Abstract

Semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) may be used for frequency conversion in cross gain modulation up to a few Gbps. Cross gain has the advantage that the output depends only on power in the incoming signal. At higher bit rates---10Gbps is frequently used in telecommunications--- the optical pulse shape degrades as though an R-C filter had been applied and bit error rates become unacceptable. The intensity variation in an SOA in cross gain is accompanied by a phase change which has the information for the lost part of the pulse. A discriminant filter following the SOA may be used to recover the lost bit signal intensity. The edge of the Bragg discriminant filter acts as a phase to intensity converter. We show by simulation that the bit error rate can be restored at 10 Gbps by the use of the filter. We further show how to optimize the filter frequency and bandwidth in such a way as to avoid unstable regions where precise control circuits would be required.

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Alastair D. McAulay "Optimizing SOA frequency conversion with discriminant filter", Proc. SPIE 5595, Active and Passive Optical Components for WDM Communications IV, (25 October 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.570684

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