Colorless Components for WDM-based Optical Access Networks

Section B "PHOTONICS & LASERS AND APPLICATIONS" [B-45]International audienceThis paper presents our work carried out in the colorless-component technologies for high bit-rate optical access networks, which are based on WDM-PON (wavelength division multiplexed passive optical networks). The colorless concept consists in using identical and wavelength-independent components that will act as the generic transmitter in WDM-PON systems. The transmitted wavelength is imposed, for each colorless component, by an external optical signal. Our studies include two types of colorless components: The Injection-Locked Fabry-Perot laser (IL-FP) and the Reflective Electro-Absorption Modulator integrated with a Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (REAM-SOA). For the IL-FP, the properties of the component strongly depend on the injected optical signal. We demonstrate the improvement by injection-locking of the laser's performances in terms of intensity noise, chirp and bandwidth. For the REAM-SOA, the static properties such as reflection gain and noise characteristic are examined. We demonstrate the feasibility of the REAM-SOA in a transmission experiment in a PON configuration at 10 Gbps with up to 25 km of SMF, using remote modulation technique

Generation and optimization of picosecond optical pulses for use in hybrid WDM/OTDM networks

The burgeoning demand for broadband services such as database queries, home shopping, video-on-demand, remote education, telemedicine and videoconferencing will push the existing networks to their limits. This demand was mainly fueled by the brisk proliferation of Personal Computers (PC) together with the exceptional increases in their storage capacity and processing capabilities and the widespread availability of the internet. Hence the necessity, to develop high-speed optical technologies in order to construct large capacity networks, arises. Two of the most popular multiplexing techniques available in the optical domain that are used in the building of such high capacity networks, are Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) and Optical Time Division Multiplexing (OTDM). However merging these two techniques to form very high-speed hybrid WDM/OTDM networks brings about the merits of both multiplexing technologies. This thesis examines the development of one of the key components (picosecond optical pulses) associated to such high-speed systems. Recent analysis has shown that RZ format is superior to conventional NRZ systems as it is easier to compensate for dispersion and nonlinear effects in the fibre by employing soliton-like propagation. In addition to this development, the use of wavelength tunability for dynamic provisioning is another area that is actively researched on. Self-seeding of a gain switched Fabry Perot laser is shown to one of the simplest and cost effective methods of generating, transform limited optical pulses that are wavelength tunable over very wide ranges. One of the vital characteristics of the above mentioned pulse sources, is their Side Mode Suppression Ratio (SMSR). This thesis examines in detail how the pulse SMSR affects the performance of high-speed WDM/OTDM systems that employ self-seeded gain-switched pulse sources

All-Optical Logic Gates and Wavelength Conversion Via the Injection-Locking of a Fabry-Perot Semiconductor Laser

This work investigates the implementation of all-optical wavelength conversion and logic gates based on optical injection locking (OIL). All-optical inverting, NOR, and NAND gates are experimentally demonstrated using two distributed feedback (DFB) lasers, a multi-mode Fabry-Perot laser diode (MMFP-LD), and a optical band-pass filter (BPF). The DFB lasers are externally modulated to represent logic inputs into the cavity of the MMFP-LD slave laser. The master lasers\u27 wavelengths are aligned with the longitudinal modes of the MMFP-LD slave laser and their optical power is used to modulate the injection conditions in the slave laser. The optical BPF is used to select the longitudinal mode that is suppressed or transmitted given the logic state of the injecting master laser signals. When the input signal(s) is (are) in the on state, injection locking, and thus the suppression of the non-injected Fabry-Perot modes, is induced, yielding a dynamic system that can be used to implement photonic logic functions. Additionally, all-optical photonic processing is achieved using the cavity mode shift produced in the injected slave laser under external optical injection. The inverting logic case can also be used as a wavelength converter -- a key component in advanced wavelength-division multiplexing networks. The result of this experimental investigation is a more comprehensive understanding of the locking parameters concerning the injection of multiple lasers into a multi-mode cavity. Attention is placed on the turn-on/turn-off transition dynamics, along with the maximum achievable bit rates. The performance of optical logic computations and wavelength conversion has the potential for ultrafast operation, limited primarily by the photon decay rate in the slave laser

Using optical injection of Fabry-Perot lasers for high-speed access in optical telecommunications

conference 7720 " Semiconductor Lasers and Laser Dynamics ", Posters session [7720-83]International audienceIn this paper we present our recent works on optical injection of Fabry-Perot laser diode for application in access networks. The injection-locked Fabry-Perot laser diode is used as low-cost colorless transmitters for high-speed optical access exploiting wavelength-division-multiplexing technology. The modification of main characteristics of Fabry-Perot laser such as spectral properties, noise and modulation is shown in injection-locking regime. The strong dependence of these properties onto injection parameters is also given. Finally, the operation of injection-locked Fabry-Perot laser diode in a wavelength-division-multiplexed optical access system using a novel multi-wavelength master source based on quantum-dash mode-locked laser is presented and its transmission performances at 2.5Gb/s are reported

A monolithic MQW InP-InGaAsP-Based optical comb generator

We report the first demonstration of a monolithic optical-frequency comb generator. The device is based on multi-section quaternary/quaternary eight-quantum-well InP-InGaAsP material in a frequency-modulated (FM) laser design. The modulation is generated using quantum-confined Stark-effect phase-induced refractive index modulation to achieve fast modulation up to 24.4 GHz. The laser was fabricated using a single epitaxial growth step and quantum-well intermixing to realize low-loss phase adjustment and modulation sections. The output was quasicontinuous wave with intensity modulation at less than 20% for a total output power of 2 mW. The linewidth of each line was limited by the linewidth of the free running laser at an optimum of 25 MHz full-width at half-maximum. The comb generator produces a number of lines with a spacing exactly equal to the modulation frequency (or a multiple of it), differential phase noise between adjacent lines of -82 dBc/Hz at 1-kHz offset (modulation source-limited), and a potential comb spectrum width of up to 2 THz (15 nm), though the comb spectrum was not continuous across the full span

Remote downconversion scheme for uplink configuration in radio/fiber systems

The authors present a novel technology for uplink transmission in radio over fiber (RoF) distribution systems. The technique employs remote downconversion of the uplink data to intermediate frequency (IF) in the base station (BS). The local oscillator (LO) signal for the downconversion is optically generated in the central station (CS) and sent to the BS via optical fiber. The IF uplink data is then modulated onto an optical carrier and sent to the CS, where the baseband conversion takes place. By employing this method of uplink connection simplicity and cost efficiency of the BS is achieved

Analog Optical Links for Wide-Bandwidth Radar Receivers

This is a comprehensive report on the feasibility of using an analog optical link for transmission of a received radar signal from the antenna to the back-end of the receiver, located on the ground. Such a change from the coaxial cable which is currently being used would allow for remoting of the back-end of the radar receiver, due to the much lower losses encountered in the use of analog optical links. The report examines instantaneous dynamic range and radar receiver sensitivity to determine if a commercially available link could seamlessly be inserted, or if an analog optical link needs to be designed at a component level in order to meet the radar receiver specifications

Fast wavelength switching lasers using two-section slotted Fabry-Pérot structures

Fast wavelength switching of a two-section slotted Fabry–PÉrot laser structure is presented. The slot design enables operation at five discrete wavelength channels spaced by 10 nm by tuning one section of the device. These wavelengths operate with sidemode suppression ratio in excess of 35 dB, and switching times between these channels of approximately 1 ns are demonstrated