All-optical logic gates based on two-photon absorption in semiconductor optical amplifiers

When the two-photon absorption of a high intensity pump beam takes place in a semiconductor optical amplifier there is an associated fast phase change of a weak probe signal. A scheme to realize fast all-optical XOR logic function using two-photon absorption induced phase change has been analyzed. Rate equations for semiconductor optical amplifiers, for input data signals with high intensity, configured in the form of a Mach–Zehnder interferometer has been solved. The input intensities are high enough so that the two-photon induced phase change is larger than the regular gain induced phase change. The model shows that both XOR operation and pseudo-random binary sequence generation at 250 Gb/s with good signal to noise ratio is feasible.     

All optical logic NAND gate based on two-photon absorption in semiconductor optical amplifiers

We propose a new scheme to realize all optical logic NAND operating at high speeds up to 250 Gb/s utilizing the ultrafast phase response during two-photon absorption (TPA) process in semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA). NAND gate is important because other Boolean logic elements and circuits can be realized using NAND gates as basic building blocks. Rate equations for semiconductor optical amplifiers (for input data signals with high intensity) configured in the form of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer have been solved. The input intensities are high enough so that the two-photon induced phase change is larger than the regular gain induced phase change. The performance of this scheme is analyzed by calculating the quality factor of the resulting data streams. The results show that both AND and NAND operations at 250 Gb/s with good signal to noise ratio are feasible.     

Dynamics of optical pulse amplification and saturation in multiple state quantum dot semiconductor optical amplifiers

We have developed a novel analytical model, which describes the dynamic characteristics of optical pulse amplification and saturation in three state quantum dot (QD) semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs). The model takes into account the effect of the ground state, the excited state and the 2-dimensional wetting layer. The model is simple, accurate and fast, which makes it suitable for device design and characterization. The derived model has been utilized to study large-signal cross-gain modulation and crosstalk in multi-channel QD-SOA. Analytical expressions for large signal cross-gain modulation and crosstalk in multichannel SOA are derived. The effect of the dot relaxation/escape lifetimes and energy separation between QD states on cross-gain modulation and crosstalk are also studied. Our calculations show that by reducing QD energy state separation, via engineering the dot size and composition, one can reduce the cross-gain modulation efficiency and reduce crosstalk in multi-channel QD-SOAs.     

Peak-power limits on fiber amplifiers imposed by self-focusing

We have numerically investigated the behavior of the fundamental mode of a step-index, multimode (MM) fiber as the optical power approaches the self-focusing limit (P(crit)). The analysis includes the effects of gain and bending (applicable to coiled fiber amplifiers). We find power-dependent, stationary solutions that propagate essentially without change at beam powers approaching P(crit) in straight and bent fibers. We show that in a MM fiber amplifier seeded with its fundamental eigenmode at powers 相似文献   

Effects of two-photon absorption on carrier dynamics in quantum-dot optical amplifiers

We investigate ultrafast gain-dynamics in a quantum-dot (QD) semiconductor optical amplifier where two-photon absorption (TPA) occurs in the bulk region of the waveguide during propagation of a sub-picosecond optical pulse, and gain bleaching occurs in the QD active region. Our calculation reveals that TPA provides optical pumping which is quasi-synchronous in time and space with QD carrier depletion, leading to enhancement of carrier capture into the QDs on an ultrafast timescale. The TPA-induced optical pumping, which is qualitatively different from electrical pumping, changes qualitatively carrier recovery dynamics, reducing pattern effects when a train of optical pulses is injected at the ultra-high speed. PACS 85.60.Bt; 42.79.-e; 07.60.-j     

Ultrafast pulse compression by semiconductor two-photon gain

We demonstrate experimentally the compression of femtosecond-scale pulses by two-photon gain in a compact electrically driven AlGaAs waveguide. Dynamic control of the pulse width from 240 to 140 fs is achieved by varying the current injection levels--in good agreement with the calculations. The pulse width is measured by a high-sensitivity intensity autocorrelator based on two-photon absorption in a GaAs photomultiplier tube.     

Simulation and evaluation of phase noise for optical amplification using semiconductor optical amplifiers in DPSK applications

A thorough simulation and evaluation of phase noise for optical amplification using semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) is very important for predicting its performance in differential phase-shift keyed (DPSK) applications. In this paper, standard deviation and probability distribution of differential phase noise at the SOA output are obtained from the statistics of simulated differential phase noise. By using a full-wave model of SOA, the noise performance in the entire operation range can be investigated. It is shown that nonlinear phase noise substantially contributes to the total phase noise in case of a noisy signal amplified by a saturated SOA and the nonlinear contribution is larger with shorter SOA carrier lifetime. It is also shown that Gaussian distribution can be useful as a good approximation of the total differential phase noise statistics in the whole operation range. Power penalty due to differential phase noise is evaluated using a semi-analytical probability density function (PDF) of receiver noise. Obvious increase of power penalty at high signal input powers can be found for low input OSNR, which is due to both the large nonlinear differential phase noise and the dependence of BER vs. receiving power curvature on differential phase noise standard deviation.     

Strained layer quantum well semiconductor optical amplifiers: Polarization insensitive amplification

Polarization insensitive optical amplification was demonstrated in newly developed semiconductor optical amplifiers that have strained GalnAsP quantum well structures. We tailored the active region of the quaternary strained layer quantum well structure with a small biaxially tensile strain of 0.2% in the well layers for polarization insensitive operation.     

Strained layer quantum well semiconductor optical amplifiers: Polarization insensitive amplification

Abstract

Polarization insensitive optical amplification was demonstrated in newly developed semiconductor optical amplifiers that have strained GalnAsP quantum well structures. We tailored the active region of the quaternary strained layer quantum well structure with a small biaxially tensile strain of 0.2% in the well layers for polarization insensitive operation.     

高斯脉冲在半导体光放大器中传输的解析表征

采用解析方法,在考虑材料损耗和色散的情况下,详细研究了无啁啾高斯脉冲和啁啾高斯脉冲在半导体光放大器中传输的物理过程,分析了强度增益、脉冲宽度和频率啁啾与线宽增强因子、色散系数、小信号增益特征参数及初始啁啾之间的关系。结果表明:当输入变换极限的高斯脉冲时,色散会引起增益压缩,脉冲展宽和频率啁啾;同样情况下,线宽增强因子越大,脉宽加宽越明显,输出脉冲啁啾越大,且随着线宽增强因子的增大,输出脉冲啁啾极大值向特征参数值较小的一边移动。当输入啁啾高斯脉冲时,初始脉冲啁啾越大,增益压缩越明显,啁啾系数为正时,脉冲单纯展宽,输出啁啾随特征参数的增大而逐渐减小,啁啾系数为负时,初始啁啾与群速度色散导致的啁啾相互竞争,致使脉冲先被压缩后被展宽;脉冲最窄处对应的特征参数随线宽增强因子的增大而先增大后减小,输出啁啾随特征参数的增大而经历振荡后趋于平稳。     

Enhancing light slow-down in semiconductor optical amplifiers by optical filtering

We show that the degree of light-speed control in a semiconductor optical amplifier can be significantly extended by the introduction of optical filtering. We achieve a phase shift of approximately 150 degrees at 19 GHz modulation frequency, corresponding to a several-fold increase of the absolute phase shift as well as the achievable bandwidth. We show good quantitative agreement with numerical simulations, including the effects of population oscillations and four-wave mixing, and provide a simple physical explanation based on an analytical perturbation approach.     

Adaptive pulse compression by two-photon absorption in semiconductors

We investigate the adaptive optimization of broadband laser pulses, using a closed-loop learning algorithm in which the merit function is derived from two-photon absorption in semiconductors. Photoluminescence experiments with CdS thin films and photocurrent measurements of a GaAsP photodiode have been performed. The experimental data demonstrate that reliable and accurate pulse compression to the bandwidth limit can be achieved, unperturbed by nontrivial phase effects. Therefore two-photon absorption proves to be an easy-to-implement alternative to second-harmonic generation for the compression of broadband laser pulses.     

Gain recovery in semiconductor optical amplifiers

Pump-probe measurements are presented of gain compression and recovery in a series of four semiconductor optical amplifiers of different lengths but otherwise identical structures. A continuous wave probe beam from a tunable laser is used to measure the wavelength dependence of gain compression and recovery times. A good level of agreement is obtained when these results are compared with numerical simulations using a model that includes the material gain spectrum, saturation effects and the variation of optical intensities with longitudinal position in the device. In addition the experimental results are interpreted in terms of a recent theory that offers approximate analytic expressions connecting recovery time with transmission gain. The spectral dependence of the recovery time and the gain are used to verify the correlations between these quantities and their dependence on device length. The results for recovery time show a strong dependence on probe wavelength with a pronounced minimum which is coincident with the peak of the gain spectrum for each device. A rather weak correlation of speed with length is found.     

利用较完善模型研究半导体光放大器对皮秒光脉冲的放大

提出了一个描述半导体光放大器（SLA）对皮秒脉冲的放大这一物理过程的较为完善的物理模型，并数值分析了光脉冲经SLA放大后的上升时间和下降时间.结果表明：随着SLA偏置电流的增大，上升时间将缩短而下降时间将延长；输入脉冲的大峰值功率将加速上升时间的缩短和下降时间的延长；增益压缩对脉宽为几个皮秒的输入脉冲的上升时间和下降时间有明显的影响，而对脉宽为几十皮秒的输入脉冲可近似认为没有影响；增益非对称和漂移强烈影响上升和下降时间. 关键词： 半导体光放大器 皮秒光脉冲 上升和下降时间     

Energy transfer coupling of two-photon absorption and reverse saturable absorption for enhanced optical power limiting

We introduce a new approach to enhancing the optical power-limiting function at near-IR wavelength (~800 nm) by coupling effective two-photon absorption in one molecule with excited-state absorption in another molecule. We experimentally demonstrate this approach by using a strong two-photon absorbing dye, AF-380, and a strong reverse saturable absorber, C(60) . A nanosecond time-resolved experiment is used to show that energy transfer from AF-380 to C(60) generates triplet excitation in C(60) that further absorbs the pump beam to enhance the power-limiting function.     

Polarization anisotropy in vertical-cavity semiconductor optical amplifiers

The polarization-dependent gain (PDG) characteristics of a vertical-cavity semiconductor optical amplifier (VCSOA) are measured, and the case of the PDG is determined. It is often assumed that the polarization states of a VCSOA are degenerate because of the circular geometry of the device. This assumption is not true in practice, and it is found that VCSOAs possess a dominant linear polarization state and a small difference in frequency between polarization states. The difference in resonant frequencies causes the PDG of the VCSOA. Measurements of the polarization state show that the cause of the splitting is electro-optic birefringence.     

Energy extraction improvement in picosecond amplifiers by pulse tilting

We report a novel tilted pulse amplification technique that, in contrast with the chirped-pulse amplification method, allows stretching of ultrashort pulses independently upon the initial pulse bandwidth. A gain factor of 4.5 and good reconstruction of a 15 ps pulse after stretching to 200 ps in a double-pass end-pumped Nd:YAG amplifier have been achieved.     

Bit rate and pulse width dependence of four-wave mixing of short optical pulses in semiconductor optical amplifiers

We investigate the saturation properties of four-wave mixing of short optical pulses in a semiconductor optical amplifier. By varying the gain of the optical amplifier, we find a strong dependence of both conversion efficiency and signal-to-background ratio on pulse width and bit rate. In particular, the signal-to-background ratio can be optimized for a specific amplifier gain. This behavior, which is coherently described in experiment and theory, is attributed to the dynamics of the amplified spontaneous emission, which is the main source of noise in a semiconductor optical amplifier.     

Stable spatial solitons in semiconductor optical amplifiers

The existence of stable dissipative spatial solitons at low intensities in patterned electrode semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) is predicted theoretically. In contrast to conventional SOAs, this system may support stable solitons because the inherent saturating losses provide subcritical bifurcations for both the plane-wave and the soliton solution.     

Modified optical bistability in two-photon absorption

The effect of level degeneracy of the absorbing atoms on the transmission characteristic of a ring cavity is examined within the mean field approximation. Using a single-mode input field, the possibility of realising a form of tristable behaviour is discussed.