Cross talk penalty in two-channel wavelength conversion by four-wave mixing in a strained semiconductor optical amplifier

摘要

A crucial function in wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) all-optical networks is a wavelength converter. This function enhances wavelength routing options and improves network reconfigurability. Fourwave mixing (FWM) in semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) utilizing ultrafast intraband nonlinearities has been studied in recent years as a means to implement this function.~(1,2) Simultaneous wavelength conversion of multiple channels has been demonstrated in an SOA~3 and in an optical fiber.~4 The issue of possible cross talk due to cross-gain saturation has been alluded to previously.~3 Here we present a systematic study of the cross talk penalty as a functon of the pump-to-signal power ratio (p/s) for two 2.5-Gbit/s ASK channels separated by 1.5 nm.