Time slot interchanging using semiconductor laser amplifiers

A four-channel optical time slot interchange switching experiment operating at 2.5 Gbit/s is reported. The system is based on a parallel switch fabric incorporating semiconductor laser amplifier gates and fibre delay lines. A sensitivity penalty of 0.2 dB for straight through operation, and 0.7 dB for fully interchanged time slots was observed.<>     

Semiconductor laser diode optical amplifiers/gates in photonicpacket switching

In this paper, we will describe how semiconductor laser diode optical amplifiers/gates can be used in the photonic packet switching systems based on wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) techniques. First, we show that cross-gain modulation (XGM) can be suppressed when the device is used in the transparent condition of the waveguide material even when the input signal power exceeds +18 dBm. We then discuss an appropriate encoding for the optical signal. Experimental results show that high bit rate Manchester-encoding enables the use of semiconductor laser diode optical amplifiers/gates in the gain condition as well as the transparent condition. Finally, a new photonic packet receiver which utilizes a semiconductor laser diode optical amplifier as a packet power equalizer is proposed. This receiver accepts 17 dB power fluctuation at nanosecond speed for 10 Gb/s Manchester-encoded signal     

An all-optical method of developing data communication system with error detection circuit

The basic criterion of data communication is that received data should exactly be the replica of the transmitting data. If any error is introduced in the received data, then data transmission should be stopped immediately. In this article the authors have developed an all-optical method of data communication system with error detection mechanism that works with frequency encoded data. Basic building blocks of the proposed data communication scheme are parity generator and parity checker which are developed from all optical XOR logic gates. Simulation results testify the feasibility of the proposed scheme. These logic gates are developed exploiting nonlinear polarization rotation based frequency conversion and switching character of semiconductor optical amplifiers. The scheme with frequency encoded data, high speed of frequency conversion and polarization switching action of semiconductor optical amplifier offers secure, error free, faster data communication network.     

Impact of gain saturation on size limitations of semiconductorlaser amplifier (SLA) based switching structures

Size limitations of optical switching structures employing semiconductor laser amplifiers arising from signal extinction ratio, amplifier gain, and optical filter bandwidth are investigated theoretically and experimentally. Simulations reveal that the maximum number of SLA that can be cascaded in an optical switching structure increases with increasing input signal extinction ratio, optical gain of each SLA and decreases with increasing SLA noise figure, optical filter bandwidth and input signal bit rate     

Proposals and analyses on laser amplifier based integrated optical circuits

Simplified traveling wave laser (TWL) amplifier equations are given based on a lumped model. Pulse transfer characteristics for a TWL amplifier are examined theoretically. A new class of integrated optical amplifier with three terminals (OPATT) has been proposed as an optical analog of the electric transistor. Analytical formulas and dynamic properties of an OPATT have been considered. OPATT-based optical integrated circuits, including optical differential amplifiers, comparators, saturable oscillators, and optical logic gates, have been investigated theoretically.     

Performance analysis on semiconductor laser amplifier loop mirrors

Operating characteristics of the semiconductor laser amplifier loop mirror (SLALOM) in optical time-division multiplexing (OTDM) applications are investigated in theory. The injection current of the semiconductor laser amplifier (SLA) should be adjusted to realize a flat and high switching window. The channel crosstalk induced by the finite carrier lifetime and the signal timing jitter should be balanced. The optimal switching window width should be slightly wider than half of the OTDM signal bit interval. The control pulse should be narrower than one-third of the OTDM bit interval in order not to deteriorate the bit error rate (BER) performance. Further discussion indicates that the nonlinear gain compression in the SLA becomes a crucial limit for the SLA-based all-optical switches to be used in the terahertz applications     

Digital optical signal processing with polarization-bistable semiconductor lasers

The operations of a complete set of optical AND, NAND, OR, and NOR gates and clocked opticalS-R, D, J-K,andTflip-flops are demonstrated, based on direct polarization switching and polarization bistability, which we have recently observed in InGaAsP/InP semiconductor lasers. By operating the laser in the direct-polarization-switchable mode, the output of the laser can be directly switched between the TM00and TE00modes with high extinction ratios by changing the injection-current level, and optical logic gates are constructed with two optoelectronic switches or photodetectors. In the polarization-bistable mode, the laser exhibits controllable hysteresis loops in the polarization-resolved power versus current characteristics. When the laser is biased in the middle of hysteresis loop, the light output can be switched between the two polarization states by injection of short electrical or optical pulses, and clocked optical flip-flops are constructed with a few optoelectronic switches and/or photodetectors. The 1 and 0 states of these devices are defined through polarization changes of the laser and direct complement functions are obtainable from the TE and TM output signals from the same laser. Switching of the polarization-bistable lasers with fast-rising current pulses has an instrument-limited mode-switching time on the order of 1 ns. With fast optoelectronic switches and/or fast photodetectors, the overall switching speed of the logic gates and flip-flops is limited by the polarization-bistable laser to < 1 ns. We have demonstrated the operations of these devices using optical signals generated by semiconductor lasers. The proposed schemes of our devices are compatible with monolithic integration based on current fabrication technology and are applicable to other types of bistable semiconductor lasers.     

波长转换器的研究

讨论了基于半导体激光放大器的波长转换器，它是光交换块中的关键元件，也是未来通信系统中的关键元件。从理论上分析了各种半导体光放大器转换器的转换原理，并给出了它们的种种结构。     

Precise and rapid wavelength-switching of fibre laser usingsemiconductor optical amplifier

A simple fibre laser scheme for fast and accurate wavelength switching is demonstrated, with a semiconductor optical amplifier being used as the gain medium. The laser cavity is composed of a Fabry-Perot semiconductor filter (FPSF) and a set of narrowband fibre Bragg gratings (FBGs), which determine the wavelength references. The FPSF can be tuned by changing its injection current to select a particular wavelength from those of the FBGs, and a wide tuning range can be achieved based on the Vernier effect. During switching between two discrete wavelengths, a build-up time as short as several microseconds was obtained. Furthermore, because of the short upper-state lifetime of a semiconductor amplifier, relaxation oscillations caused by wavelength switching were eliminated     

Comparison of interferometric all-optical switches fordemultiplexing applications in high-speed OTDM systems

We have investigated three interferometric all-optical switches based on cross-phase modulation (XPM) in semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs), the semiconductor laser amplifier in a loop mirror (SLALOM) switch, the Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) switch, and the ultrafast nonlinear interferometer (UNI) switch. Switching windows with different widths are measured under similar conditions for all three switching configurations. We introduce the integrated contrast ratio (ICR) as a measure to evaluate the performance of a switch from switching windows. Using the ICR, the switches are compared and their application is discussed as demultiplexer in optical time division multiplexing (OTDM) systems for data rates of 40, 80, and 160 Gb/s     

Analysis of the Switching Characteristics of TOAD

The dynamic gain responses of the semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) in a terahertz optical asymmetric demultiplexer (TOAD) to intense control pulses with different input energies and pulse widths are investigated. The influences on the switching characteristics of TOAD for different control pulse energies, widths, loop time asymmetry, and time delays between the signal pulse and control pulse are studied and analyzed in detail. The theoretical analysis coincides well with the experimental result.     

TOAD的开关特性研究

讨论了太赫兹光非对称解复用器 (TOAD)中半导体光放大器 (SOA)对具有不同能量和宽度的控制脉冲的动态增益响应 ,研究了控制脉冲能量、宽度、环时间非对称性、信号光脉冲相对于控制光脉冲的时延等因素对TOAD开关特性的影响 ,作了优化分析 ,并与实验结果进行了比较     

Theory of signal degradation in semiconductor laser amplifiers indirect detection systems

Theoretical studies are carried out on long haul direct detection optical fiber communication systems, with inline optical semiconductor amplifier repeaters. Calculations are made of the noise, eye diagrams, and bit-error-rate characteristics of lightwave systems with optical amplifiers. Indications are given of the effect of amplifier characteristics such as spontaneous noise and signal distortion due to gain saturation on the system performance. The nonlinear process within semiconductor laser amplifiers leads generally to pulse amplitude-temporal distortions due to gain saturation. This theoretical study demonstrates that the system penalty caused by these nonlinear effects appears progressively as the optical input power at each amplifier is increased. For example, nonregenerated fiber transmission using traveling wave semiconductor laser amplifiers was simulated, and results obtained at 0.5 and 2.5 Gb/s are presented. In order to improve the system performance, the influence of structure and bulk dimensions of the amplifier cavity is also considered     

Linewidth of a semiconductor laser operating near threshold

The linewidth of a single-mode semiconductor laser operating in the threshold region has been studied both theoretically and experimentally. Due to strong phase-amplitude coupling in a semiconductor laser, its linewidth versus current characteristics exhibit a local minimum below threshold and a local maximum just about threshold. This implies a limitation in the minimum optical bandwidth achievable in a resonant-type semiconductor laser optical amplifier. The theoretical prediction has been verified experimentally on a conventional DFB semiconductor laser     

Bistability and Switching Properties of Semiconductor Ring Lasers With External Optical Injection

We investigate both analytically and numerically the switching, locking and stability properties of a bistable semiconductor ring laser subject to an external optical injection. Minimum optical power required for the injected signal at certain frequency to switch the lasing direction of a bistable semiconductor ring laser from its initially lasing direction to initially nonlasing direction is determined. Locking to the injected signal and stability of the switched laser are investigated to give an area of reliable switching operation. Correspondingly, numerical simulation has been carried out to find successful switching and stable locking region with variable injection power and frequency, and is compared with the analytical results. The region obtained from simulation coincides well with the intersection of switching, locking and stable locking regions. The relation between switching speed and parameters of injected source is also studied numerically.     

Spectral Properties of Fabry-Pérot Laser Diodes and Conventional Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers

This paper presents an unified comprehensive model for the analysis of the spectral properties of Fabry-Pérot laser diodes and conventional semiconductor optical amplifiers. We develop the model by considering the wide-band amplified spontaneous emission fields and the input optical signal fields in a general frame. Specifically, this paper discusses theoretical aspects of the model in details, which are based upon the spectra of material gain and spontaneous emission power,nonlinear gain suppression, and longitudinal spatial hole burning. This paper also presents simulation results of the model for the case of conventional semiconductor optical amplifier and the case of Fabry-Pérot laser diode to demonstrate its capabilities.     

半导体激光放大器非稳态理论及数值解

本文对半导体激光放大器的非稳态过程进行理论分析,给出了描述半导体激光放大器非稳态过程的一系列方程组,并对半行波半导体激光放大器的超短光脉冲响应及开关特性进行了数值求解。     

New unipolar codes allowing electrooptical correlation utilizing a semiconductor laser amplifier

This letter reports on the development of a new code allowing the use of a semiconductor laser amplifier (SLA) to execute correlation in the optical domain. Semiconductor laser amplifiers act as AND gates and can only correlate codes in the unipolar domain and therefore have been limited by the lack of unipolar codes with good autocorrelation properties. The authors propose a new unipolar code derived from bipolar Golay codes which has a high probe duty cycle (50%) and is ideal for use with an SLA based correlator. Computer modeling of an SLA correlator used to interrogate a sensor network is described, indicating crosstalk levels of less than 0.7%.     

Analysis of the Physical Impairments on Maximum Size and Throughput of SOA-Based Optical Burst Switching Nodes

In this paper, the physical limitations of semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA)-based switching nodes for optical burst switching (OBS) are investigated. The investigation covers two broadcast-and-select (BAS)-based architectures. Their maximum size and throughput are analyzed for nodes at different bit rates. As main impairments for signal degradation amplifier noise, crosstalk, SOA gain saturation and dynamics, and SOA chirp are evaluated by simulations. In conclusion, general rules for design burst switching nodes are established.      

Fiber loop optical buffer

Fiber loop optical buffers enable data storage for discrete time intervals and therefore appear suitable for applications in optical asynchronous transfer mode (OATM)-based networks where data are transmitted in cells of fixed length. In this paper, the feasibility and the limitations of optical data storage in a fiber loop optical buffer are studied theoretically and experimentally, A model of a fiber loop buffer, incorporating semiconductor laser amplifiers (SLA) as switching gates, is described. The two major interfering quantities are cross talk and amplified spontaneous emission of the SLA gates. To limit the impact of cross talk on the signal quality, an on/off ratio of the SLA gates of at least 30 dB is required. The paper describes the optimum operation conditions, which enable data storage for more than 100 circulations even for data rates in the range from 10 to 160 Gb/s