Filter-free ultrawideband generation based on semiconductor optical amplifier nonlinearities

A filter-free scheme for ultrawideband (UWB) generation with single semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) is proposed and demonstrated. A pair of polarity-reversed optical pulses is generated due to cross gain modulation (XGM) in the pump-probe scheme, whereas the amplified pump pulse becomes sharp at its leading edge such that the power peak is shifted forward. Hence, the combination of the pump and probe signals at the SOA output is quasi-monocycle shape. Our scheme is an improved scheme to avoid exploiting optical filters and time-delay devices. The generated UWB radio frequency spectrum shows good stability when the input probe power varies from −10 dBm to 6 dBm, the probe wavelength varies in the whole C-band, and the bias current varies from 100 mA to 240 mA. Although the generated quasi-monocycle deviates from a standard Gauss monocycle to some extent, the frequency spectrum conforms to the UWB regulation. Two SOAs with different XGM dynamics are compared in generating UWB signals.