High-speed optical signal processing using semiconductor optical amplifiers

The authors report on all-optical switching devices based on semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA) in applications for optical time division multiplexing (OTDM) transmission technology. The report includes a discussion on the basic properties of an SOA, on the nonlinear processes of cross-phase modulation and four-wave mixing in the SOA used for all-optical switching, and on the application of the SOA as demultiplexer, add-drop multiplexer, clock recovery and wavelength converter. The devices considered here operate at data rates in excess of \Gb80, where electrical signal processing is not available today.     

Polarization insensitive wavelength conversion based on dual-pump four-wave mixing for polarization multiplexing signal in SOA

We have theoretically investigated polarization insensitive all-optical wavelength conversion for polarization multiplexing signal based on dual-pump four-wave mixing (FWM) in a SOA. The simulation result shows that the polarization insensitive converted signal can be separated into two lightwaves without crosstalk when one of the two orthogonal data lightwaves is parallel with one pump and the SOA should be polarization insensitive. Several conditions which affect the conversion efficiency for polarization multiplexing signal are also discussed.     

Characterize and optimize the four-wave mixing in dual-interferometer coupled silicon microrings

By designing and fabricating a series of dual-interferometer coupled silicon microrings, the coupling condition of the pump, signal, and idler beams can be engineered independently and then we carried out both the continuous-wave and pulse pumped four-wave mixing experiments to verify the dependence of conversion efficiency on the coupling conditions of the four interacting beams, respectively. Under the continuous-wave pump, the four-wave mixing efficiency gets maximized when both the pump and signal/idler beams are closely operated at the critical coupling point, while for the pulse pump case, the efficiency can be enhanced greatly when the pump and converted idler beams are all overcoupled. These experiment results agree well with our theoretical calculations. Our design provides a platform for explicitly characterizing the four-wave mixing under different pumping conditions, and offers a method to optimize the four-wave mixing, which will facilitate the development of on-chip all-optical signal processing with a higher efficiency or reduced pump power.     

基于光纤光参量放大的异步双波长全光再生技术研究

本文提出了一种新型的多波长全光再生方案,利用相位时钟光纤光参量放大,并采用相邻信道偏振正交的方法,实现对由异步信源产生的双波长信号全光再生.理论分析了参量放大中的增益饱和现象用于幅度噪声抑制,以及利用相位时钟及后续色散实现对信号定时的机理.在这个基础上,对两个独立信源产生的异步双波长10Gbit/s信号进行再生实验,实验表明该方案有效的抑制了基于多波长3R再生系统中信道间的四波混频与交叉相位调制等非线性干扰.系统在单波长和双波长情况下分别将两路信号信噪比改善了至少6.5dB与4.5dB.误码率测试结果说明,与背对背测试结果相比,无论是在单波长还是双波长条件下,两路波长的信号经过再生后都实现了约2dB的接收机功率代价的改善.     

All-Optical Wavelength Conversion Based on Four-Wave Mixing in Dispersion-Engineered Silicon Nanowaveguides

We demonstrate experimentally all-optical wavelength conversion based on four-wave mixing in dispersion-engineered silicon nanowaveguides with a picosecond pulse pump. We find that the conversion efficiency is significantly limited by nonlinear losses induced by the two-photon absorption and freecarrier absorption. Using a picosecond pulse pump centered at 1,550 nm, we show that the input continuous-wave signals can efficiently be converted into a broadband idler pulse in silicon waveguides with various dimensions. Conversion efficiencies versus signal wavelengths are different for silicon waveguides with different dimensions due to the variation in the phase mismatch; we obtain a conversion efficiency of – 32 dB in silicon nanowaveguides with a length of 5.8 mm. Such on-chip optical wavelength converters can find important potential applications in highly-integrated optical circuits for all-optical ultrafast signal processing.     

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

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 four-wave 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.     

Optimum Compensator Positioning to Reduce Four-Wave Mixing in Wavelength Division Multiplexing Optical Communication Systems Using Dispersion-Managed Fibers

Abstract

The impact of the compensator's location along the optical fiber on a variation of four-wave mixing power penalty is investigated theoretically and numerically for dispersion-managed fibers in wavelength division multiplexing systems. The power penalty is analyzed for fibers with different attenuation coefficients and lengths, and the optimum positions for the compensator along the fiber is discussed in cases of both dispersion compensation of each fiber section between two amplifiers and whole-compensation.     

Ultracompact 160 Gbaud all-optical demultiplexing exploiting slow light in an engineered silicon photonic crystal waveguide

We demonstrate all-optical demultiplexing of a high-bandwidth, time-division multiplexed 160 Gbit/s signal to 10 Gbit/s channels, exploiting slow light enhanced four-wave mixing in a dispersion engineered, 96 μm long planar photonic crystal waveguide. We report error-free (bit error rate<10??) operation of all 16 demultiplexed channels, with a power penalty of 2.2-2.4 dB, highlighting the potential of these structures as a platform for ultracompact all-optical nonlinear processes.     

基于光纤中四波混频效应的全光串-并转换研究

 为了实现高速信号的降速处理,设计并通过实验演示了一种高速全光串-并转换系统。在方案中,利用时钟脉冲自身的频谱宽度和光纤中四波混频的高速响应特性,可以从一个光分频时钟脉冲出发,利用光纤中群速度色散（GVD）致脉冲展宽效应,把一个重复频率为10 GHz的时钟窄脉冲在时域上展宽,并通过光纤中的四波混频过程,将一路40 Gb/s 的归零（RZ）码信号转换成为4路10 Gb/s信号,完成串-并转换功能。该方案响应速率高,对波长和码率透明,并具有很大的转换路数可拓展性。     

基于PolSK调制的四波混频型超快全光译码器

提出了一种新型的基于半导体光放大器（semiconductor optical amplifier, SOA）中四波混频（four-wave mixing, FWM）效应的超快全光译码器方案,方案中采用了偏振移位键控（polarization-shift-keying, PolSK）信号光.考虑SOA的偏振相关性,建立了这种全光译码器完整的偏振相关宽带理论模型.通过数值模拟的方法,从理论上实现了超快全光译码器,并研究了两输入信号光功率、SOA注入电流和SOA的偏振相关性对全光译码器输出特性的影响. 关键词： 全光译码器 偏振移位键控 四波混频 半导体光放大器     

Simultaneous implementation of all-optical OR and AND logic gates for NRZ/RZ/CSRZ ON-OFF-keying signals

An all-optical scheme for simultaneously realizing OR and AND logic gates based on three-input four-wave mixing (FWM) arising in a single semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) is proposed and demonstrated. It has the ability to process not only conventional non-return-to-zero-ON-OFF-keying (NRZ-OOK) and return-to-zero-OOK (RZ-OOK) formats but also carrier-suppressed return-to-zero-OOK (CSRZ-OOK) format signals. Firstly, the performance of 40 Gb/s logic operation is numerically evaluated by a comprehensive dynamic SOA model considering three input signal induced FWM effect. Then, 10 Gb/s experimental demonstrations with clear waveforms and high extinction ratios (ERs) further verify the logic integrity of this scheme. Thus, the OR and AND logic gates simultaneously achieved within a single logic unit is compact and cost-effective for future optical signal processing applications.     

Experimental investigation of combined four-wave mixing and Raman effect in the normal dispersion regime of a photonic crystal fiber

We study the effect of stimulated Raman scattering on four-wave mixing sidebands generated by pumping in the normal dispersion regime of a photonic crystal fiber. Q-switch nanosecond pulses at 1064 nm are used to generate signal and idler wavelengths by degenerate four-wave mixing. These three waves generate their own Raman Stokes orders, leading to a broadband supercontinuum.     

基于单个半导体光放大器的高速多功能逻辑门

采用半导体光放大器(SOA)中的非线性效应可以实现多种多样的高速全光信号处理. 利用SOA的非线性效应(包括四波混频、交叉增益调制、瞬态交叉相位调制等)实现了多种功能的逻辑运算,包括“与”、“或非”、“同或”、“或”和“非”. 由于SOA用于全光信号处理的调制速率受到增益恢复时间较慢的限制而无法实现高速的信号处理,在SOA后面级联一个带宽为0.32nm的失谐滤波器可以提高SOA的工作速率,仅用一个SOA实现了40Gbit/s的多功能逻辑门. 关键词： 半导体光放大器 全光逻辑门 瞬态交叉相位调制     

基于半导体光纤环形腔激光器的新型全光AND门和NOR门

提出了一种新型的基于半导体光纤环形腔激光器(SFRL)中同时发生的四波混频效应和交叉增益调制效应同时实现全光AND门和NOR门方案，并建立了这种全光逻辑门完整的宽带理论模型.通过数值模拟的方法，研究了输入信号光峰值功率及SFRL中两个耦合器的耦合比对这种全光逻辑门输出特性的影响. 关键词： 半导体光纤环形腔激光器 全光逻辑门 四波混频 交叉增益调制     

半导体光放大器的非简并时延四波混合理论

用二能级宽带模型研究了半导体光放大器(SOA)中非简并相共轭四波混合信号强度随时间延迟的变化规律。结果表明,对这种情形的非简并四波混合共轭信号强度随时间延迟τ变化表明为载流子脉动,且脉动信号以退相速率衰减。鉴于目前用简并四波混合对半导体光放大器超快过程的测量需要大功率激光器作激发源、大光学实验平台和复杂的探测设备的情况下,提出了基于全光通信器件构成非简并四波混合观测半导体光放大器载流子脉动、退相时间新方法,这不仅便于选取抽运与探测光源波长(光通信窗口波长),而且可使测试设备微型化。     

Pattern-effect-free all-optical wavelength conversion using a hydrogenated amorphous silicon waveguide with ultra-fast carrier decay

Ultra-fast carrier decay, recently discovered in a hydrogenated amorphous silicon waveguide, can be exploited for pattern-effect-free all-optical signal processing based on optical Kerr nonlinearity. In this study, we utilized a 10 Gbit/s RZ-OOK data stream as a pump for degenerate four-wave mixing in a low-loss hydrogenated amorphous silicon waveguide. The propagation loss of the waveguide used was 1.0±0.2 dB/cm at 1550 nm. Unlike crystalline silicon waveguides, no noticeable difference was observed in the BER characteristics between the cases of PRBS 2(7)-1 and 2(31)-1.     

All-optical wavelength conversion and multicasting for polarization-multiplexed signal using angled pumps in a silicon waveguide

We report all-optical wavelength conversion and multicasting for a 20 Gb/s (2×10 Gb/s) polarization-multiplexed (Pol-MUX) nonreturn-to-zero amplitude-shift keying signal using four-wave mixing (FWM) in a silicon waveguide. The temporal waveforms and eye diagrams demodulated from both polarization channels of the converted idler are clearly observed. Moreover, the wavelength multicasting of the Pol-MUX signal is also demonstrated by using two incident pumps.     

简并四波混频实现全光信号幅度整形的系统设计

对光纤中简并四波混频(DFWM)耦合波方程进行数值求解,通过分析发现:泵浦光功率的增大会导致泵浦光与反斯托克斯光之间能量交换周期减小。阐述了优化光纤中DFWM实现全光信号幅度整形的机理。在此基础上设计了一个优化的全光信号幅度整形系统,并进行了系统仿真,结果表明:通过再生系统后,信号的消光比从9.46 dB提升到30.40 dB,品质因子从15.95提升到了180.40。     

半导体光放大器的光-光互作用及其应用

半导体光放大器（SOA）中的非线性系数约为普通光纤的10^9，为光子晶体光纤的10^7，而且有4种光-光互作用，即交叉增益调制（XGM）、交叉相位调制（XPM）、交叉偏振调制（XSM）及四波混频（FWM），可以灵活地组成各种光信号处理器件，如波长变换器、全光触发器、全光逻辑、全光时钟恢复、全光缓存器……等，正成为整个光信号处理的基础。文章介绍了它们的原理和简单应用。     

320 Gbit/s wavelength conversion using four-wave mixing in quantum-dot semiconductor optical amplifiers

In this study, we demonstrate error-free all-optical wavelength conversion of ultrahigh-speed intensity modulated signals by means of four-wave mixing in a quantum-dot semiconductor optical amplifier. Error-free performance at a bit rate of 320 Gbit/s is measured for the extracted 40 Gbit/s tributaries with a 3.4 dB average power penalty to the original signal.