S. Cabot

All-optical wavelength conversion using a pulse reformatting optical filter

We introduce a general concept for the design of all-optical wavelength converters with pulse reformatting functionality. The novel wavelength converters are based on a single semiconductor optical amplifier followed by an optical filter. A microelectromechanical system-based realization is shown and simultaneous 40 Gb/s wavelength conversion, switching and signal format conversion is demonstrated. The new pulse reformatting optical filter device outperforms current schemes with respect to input-power requirements, input-power dynamic range and signal quality.

OSNR Monitoring Method for OOK and DPSK Based on Optical Delay Interferometer

We describe a simple method to measure the optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) of on-off-keying (OOK) and differential phase-shift-keying (DPSK) signals by using an optical delay interferometer (ODI) having a sinusoidal and tunable passband. This OSNR monitoring method is independent of chromatic dispersion, polarization-mode dispersion, and noise polarization. We show experimentally that accurate OSNR measurements are made for a 10-Gb/s OOK signal by using a 1-bit ODI and a 40-Gb/s DPSK signal by using a partial-bit ODI with the OSNR ranging from 5 to 25 dB.

Reduced Recovery Time Semiconductor Optical Amplifier Using p-Type-Doped Multiple Quantum Wells

The effect of p-type doping of the active region of multiple quantum-well (MQW) semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) has been studied. Spectrogram measurements of the dynamics of the SOAs reveal that using p-doped barriers for the MQWs has significantly reduced both gain and phase recovery times. 1/e phase recovery times as short as 11 ps were demonstrated using this approach

Nonblocking all-optical cross connect based on regenerative all-optical wavelength converter in a transparent demonstration over 42 nodes and 16800 km

A red-shift optical filter all-optical wavelength converter compatible to all-optical WDM networks is introduced and demonstrated at 40 and 10 Gb/s. The wavelength converter provides reshaping and can act as a power equalizer. We use the device to overcome wavelength blocking in a looped-fiber network demonstration equivalent to 42 cross-connect switches and a 16800 km transmission distance.

All-Optical Byte Recognition for 40-Gb/s Phase-Shift-Keyed Transmission Using a Planar-Lightwave-Circuit Passive Correlator

We demonstrate all-optical recognition of a byte pattern embedded in phase-shift-keyed data streaming at 40 Gb/s. We use matched filtering to generate an autocorrelation pulse indicating the pattern matching. Matched filtering is implemented using a reconfigurable silica planar-lightwave-circuit optical delay-line filter. We show excellent discrimination against spurious patterns consistent with the theoretical predictions.

Ultra high-speed data signals with alternating and pairwise alternating optical phases

We demonstrate two 160-Gb/s modulation formats that posses the same intensity pulse profile but differ regarding their phase coding. We analyze the nonlinear transmission properties of both coherent modulation formats by experimental and analytical investigations. The results show that the pairwise alternating phase coded carrier suppressed return-to-zero (PAP-CSRZ) signal outperforms the conventional CSRZ format. Our modulation technique is even applicable at higher speed as demonstrated with the generation of the first CSRZ signal at a record rate of 320 Gb/s.

High-Speed All-Optical Generation of Advanced Modulation Formats Using Photonic-Integrated All-Optical Format Converter

We propose and demonstrate all-optical method for generating advanced modulation formats with high-spectral efficiency. The proposed method is based on all-optical format conversion using photonic-integrated semiconductor optical amplifier-Mach-Zehnder interferometers. It enables application of advanced modulation formats at data rates not directly accessible using electronic means only. We demonstrate generation of single-polarization 86.4-Gb/s binary phase-shift keying and 173-Gb/s quadrature phase-shift keying optical signals.

Significant reduction of recovery time in semiconductor optical amplifier using p type modulation doped MQW

The effect of p-type doping of the barriers of multiple quantum well semiconductor optical amplifiers is shown to significantly reduce the gain and carrier recovery times with phase recovery times as short as 11ps.

Latency-free all-optical recognition of 32-bit optical bit patterns at 40 Gb/s using a passive optical correlator

We report all-optical detection of 32-bit patterns embedded in 40-Gb/s phase-shift keyed data. The bit-pattern recognition is achieved using matched filtering implemented with a reconfigurable silica waveguide tapped delay-line filter.

Novel method of all-optical OR operation using semiconductor optical amplifier Mach-Zehnder interferometers

We propose a novel method of all-optical OR operation using semiconductor optical amplifier Mach-Zehnder interferometers. We demonstrate all-optical OR operation at 42.8 Gb/s using a hybrid photonic integrated device.