lCTON 2004 37 We.Bl.

Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers for All-Optical Wavelength

Conversion
Gabor Kovacs, Eszter Udvary, Tibor Berceli
Budapest Universiry of Techno/ogj~ arid Ecoriomics, Goldmunn ter 3.. I I I 1 Budapest, Hurigay
Tel: (361) 463 26.34, Fax: (361) 463 3289, e-mail: kovacsg, udvary, berceli@rriRt,bnie,hu
ABSTRACT
All-optical wavelength conversion is one of the key functionalities in Wavelength Division Multiplexed (WDM)
systems, where channel routing is desired without any limitation. Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers offer
sevcral possible solutions for this functionality in the optical domain. In this paper different possible solutions
are compared, pointing out the advantages and disadvantages of each. Then a simple and at the samc time most
promising method, the Cross-Gain Modulation is investigated through perfonnance measurement results. The
saturation of the amplifier, conversion nonlinearity and signal extinction ratio after conversion is also
investigated and presented.
Keywords: wavelength conversion, semiconductor optical amplifier, SOA, cross-gain modulation.

1. INTRODUCTION
There is no doubt that the optical telecommunication is the technology of the future, though many unsolved
problems still prevent the appearance of all-optical networks. The most promising representatives of these
network types are the wavelength division multiplex (WDM) networks, where the different channels are
multiplexed according to the wavelength. Free wavelength conversion ability is essential in order to realise these
networks. .
The optoelectronic converters were the first solution for this problem. In this case the incoming optical signal
is detected and simply retransmitted on another wavelength. This solution is widely used nowadays in practice,
though it is optically not transparent, and the electrical components are the limitation of the achievable operation
speed.

2. ALL-OPTICAL WAVELENGTH CONVERSION METHODS

Wavelength converters should meet several requirements. They should be transparent for all modulation
schemes, operate at the I O to 100 GHr range or even higher, and in order to build long-haul connections they
should be cascadable. Further need is the low complexity of the device, high output power and fast tunability.

2.1 Optical gating methods

With this category we refer to those all-optical methods, where the continuous wave (CW) signal at the new
wavelength is provided by an external source, and another device is applied to modulate the intensity of this
signal according to the incoming optical information signal.
As it is widely known, in semiconductor optical amplifiers the key physical phenomenon is the population
inversion, in other words the carrier density on the higher energy level in the active region. This carrier density
is provided by an external electrical pump. This population inversion gives the optical amplification in the
amplifier through stimulated emission. But through the modulation of the carrier density by an optical signal
(due to gain saturation process) it can also be used for wavelength Conversion in several ways.
In case of cross-gain modulation the SOA gain is driven by the information signal utilising power and gain
saturation in the device [1,2]. At cross-phase modulation we utilise that due to the variation of the carrier
density the refractive index will also change, which results in phase modulation on the CW signal, and this
phase modulation is converted into intensity modulation by an interferometer [3]. And finally, due to the
birefringence of the SOA material cross-polarisation modulation is also possible [4].

2.2 Wave mixing

The earlier mentioned all-optical and transparent optical transmissions are not synonyms to each other.
The gating methods are not transparent solution, as the only preserve the intensity information of the signal.
At wave mixing we utilise the nonlinear behaviour of the SOAs, and the new wavelength signal is produced
as the nonlinear combination of the input signals. Thus, if any of the input signals contains intensity, phase or
polarisation modulation, it will be represented in the output signal. In this way, wave mixing is the only method
with transparent optical properties, because all the optical properties of the information signal are unchanged
during the conversion [5].

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We.Bl.2 I, 38 ICTON 2004

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According to :the number of the input signals there is/unr-ir.ai~e mixing (FWM), three-wave mi.xing (TWM) and
dfferencefiequerq geiieratiori (DFG), depending which order of nonlinearity is utilised.
In addition to transparency wave mixing is the only tnetliod which allows parallel conversion of more than
one channel and capable for operating over 100 GHz. But on the other hand the optical nonlinear efficiency is
very low, 1hus;the implenientalion of this converters is complicated.

3. XGM MEASUREMENT DESCRIPTION

The most prohiising method for wavelength conversion is cross-gain modulation, due to its simplicity and
attractive conversion parameters, hence we focused our investigations on this method.
The subst&e of XGM is as follows [6]. In a SOA device the gain parameter basically depcnds 011 the
population inversion. The population inversion is provided by an external current supply device, which pumps
the electrons into the semiconductor at a constant level. The optical amplification process is realised by induced
emission, whihh consumes the population inversion. In case the amplification process decreases the population
'inversion at a higher rate then the current supply is able to refill it, the population inversion - and consequently
the gain -will fall.
In Fig. I g h i saturation is demonstratcd.

-
rn
-
I

Jj
.,I 46 .,11 -12 .le -8 4 d -2 P *
I OYtPUt Dower ,dBlnl %.,
Figure 1. Optical gain versus the output opticalpower at 1552 nm (saturation process).

Gain saturation can be simply used for XGM by transmitting two different optical signals together through
the semiconductor optical amplifier. The first is the information signal on holdwavelength. The other is
a continuous whve on h,,,. In this case the intensity modulation of the first signal will change the gain value of
the SOA according to the gain saturation, so that the device will function as an external modulator for the
second signal. II
The aim of our measurements was to examine the characteristics of cross-gain modulation, by analysing the
maximum value of the extinction ratio.
At first the, characteristics of a semiconductor optical amplifier (the C gain parameter against the I bias
current, and also the amplified spontaneous emission level ASE) were measured. Then the saturation diagrams
~

for different bias currents (C gain as a function of the output optical power), and finally the typical parameters
of the cross-gain modulation were examined.

rME LD new
...........................
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............................
~ *mplifier
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Opt. Spectr.
Analysalor

! Figure 2. Cross-gain modulation measurements block scheme.

In Fig. 2 the simplified block diagram of the cross-gain modulation measurements are illustrated. The first laser
source is to provide the so-called old signal on holdwavelength, which represents the incoming information
signal. This source could be modified both in power and wavelength. The other source provided the continuous
wave signal on:the constant wavelength of hew The two signals were transmitted to the input of the SOA via
acoupler. Finally with an optical spectrum analyser the h,,, related gain and output power was measured,

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 ICTON 2004 39 We.BI.2

varying the parameters'of >.'old and the bias current of the SOA separately. Optical isolators were also used to
eliminate the optical reflections in the system.
The effect of an optical preamplifier was also examined. The purpose of this preamplifier was to boost up the
received optical power of Lot,,so that the wavelength converter SOA will be at a deeper saturation and a higher
extinction ratio could be obtained (the rate of the maximum and minimum output power of knew).
The disadvantdgc of this preamlification is that thc amplifier emitted strong, broadband amplified spontaneous
noise, which worsened the quality of the transmission and also the achievable extinction ratio factor. So the use
of a filter is nceded and a fibre amplifier with a lower noise spectrum is advisable.
Accordiug to the measurement experiences we can say, that XGM is far not trouble-free solution for
wavelength conversion. Using a hold signal with appropriate parameters (wavelength, optical power, bias
current) an extinction ratio of 30 dB was demonstrated. After the nieasurements several interesting conclusions
can be done.

4. MEASUREMENT RESULTS
At first step the effect of the SOA bias was examined. Interestingly the maximal extinction ratio not always
belonged to the maximum bias current, but - as it can be seen in Fig. 3 -for a lower value.

h 1 2 1 , 6 8 7

Input power on signal 1 [mW]

. .
Figure 3. Extifiction ratio versus bias current of the Figure 4. XGMconversion nonlinearity
wavelength coiiverter SOA device. The output inlensity at ,Ine,"
isplotted against the
input intensity at &,,.

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We.BI.2 , 40 ICTON 2004

To undersjand this characteristic we need to consider the following. In a semiconductor optical amplifier
amplification arises from stimulated emission, when an excited atom from a higher energy level returns to
a lover one, emitting a photon at E = /~ energy (h is the Planck constant and& is the photon frequency). This
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process is stimulated by the incoming photons. The range of the einittedf, frequencies are detemiined by the
distribution of,clcctrons in the conduction hand energy levels. The distribution of the electrons depend on the
material structure of the SOA, so the wavelength dependence of the gain and the extinction ratio of the device is
also determined by the structure.
;I

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;:Figure5. Extinction ratio against the ~iavelengthof the /lo,d signal (SQW 1500 SOA).

If we use an optical preamplifier or inline amplifier along the line in order to increase the optical input power
of hold,it is also important to use a narrowband bandpass filter between the amplifier and the converter. If we
forget this, then the noise level of the system will definitely rise. Moreover at the same time the population
inversion in the device will he rcdundantly consumed by the noise power, which enters the converter SOA,
decreasing both the gain of the device and the achievable extinction ratio.

5. CONCLUSIONS
Wavelength conversion using semiconductor optical amplifiers is one of the most intensively developing area of
optical telecommunication research. As it was shown, several approaches exist, with advantages and
disadvantages. ;In this paper we evaluated wavelength conversion using semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA)
and investigated cross-gain modulation in details. The effect of the extinction ratio of the wavelength and the
incident 0ptical:power of the optical signals and the SOA bias current was examined.

REFERENCES
Derek Nesset, Tony Kelly, and Dominique Marcenac: All-Optical Wavelength Conversion Using SOA
Nonlinearities, IEEE Communications Magazine, pp. 56-61,, December 1998.
S. J. B. Yyo: Wavelength conversion technologies for WDM network
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Leuthold, e/. al.: 100Gbitk all-optical wavelength conversion with integrated SOA delayed-interference
.I.
configuration, Electronics Letters, Vol. 36, No. 13. pp. 1129-1130, June 2000.
Y. Liu, et al.: Wavelength Conversion Using Nonlinear Polarization Rotation in a Single Semiconductor
Optical A'mplifier, IEEE Photonics Technology Letter, vol. 15, no. I , January 2003.
D. D. Marcenac et al., 40Ghis transmission over 103km of NDSF using polarization independent mid-span
spectral inversion by four wave mixing in a semiconductor amplifier, Elect. Lett., vol. 34, no. I ,
pp. 100-1.1998.
H. Ghafouri-Shiraz: Fundamentals of Laser Diode Amplifiers, John Wiley & Sons, 1996.

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