Optimized performance map of an EAM for pulse generation and demultiplexing via FROG characterization

We demonstrate the complete characterization of a sinusoidally driven electro-absorption modulator (EAM) over a range of RF drive voltages and reverse bias conditions. An accurate performance map for the EAM, to be employed as a pulse generator and demultiplexer in an optical time division multiplexed (OTDM) system, can be realized by employing the Frequency Resolved Optical Gating technique. The generated pulses were characterized for chirp, extinction ratio (ER) and pulse width (<4 ps). The optimization of the EAM’s drive conditions is important to ensure that the generated pulses have the required spectral and temporal characteristics to be used in high-speed systems. The ER and pulse width also influence the demultiplexing performance of an EAM in an OTDM system. This is confirmed by utilizing the EAM as a demultiplexer in an 80 Gb/s OTDM system and measuring the BER as a function of the received optical power for various values of the ER and pulse width. It is of paramount importance to accurately characterize the performance of each individual EAM as the modulators characteristics are device dependant, thus optimum performance can be achieved with slight variations to the device’s drive conditions. By employing FROG, an optimum performance map of each specific device can be deduced. Simulations carried out verified the experimental results achieved

Experimental investigation of the impact of optical injection on vital parameters of a gain-switched pulse source

An analysis of optical injection on a gain-switched distributed feedback (DFB) laser and its impact on pulse parameters that influence the performance of the pulse source in high-speed optical communication systems is presented in this paper. A range of 10 GHz in detuning and 5 dB in injected power has been experimentally identified to attain pulses, from an optically injected gain-switched DFB laser, with durations below 10 ps and pedestal suppression higher than 35 dB. These pulse features are associated with a side mode suppression ratio of about 30 dB and a timing jitter of less than 1 ps. This demonstrates the feasibility of using optical injection in conjunction with appropriate pulse compression schemes for developing an optimized and cost-efficient pulse source, based on a gain-switched DFB laser, for high-speed photonic systems

Increased bit rate direct modulation AMO-OFDM transmission by optical injection using monolithically integrated lasers

Experimental and simulation work, presented in this letter, demonstrates for the first time how the monolithic integration of two single-mode lasers in a master-slave configuration, can substantially increase the achievable bit rate of a direct modulation adaptively modulated optical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (AMO-OFDM) system. The Levin-Campello algorithm is applied to select the OFDM bit and power loading scheme used for each system configuration. Improvement in terms of data throughput due to injection is measured for several transmission distances with the improvement in performance presented in terms of error vector magnitude per OFDM subcarrier

Microresonator-based spectral translation of a gain-switched semiconductor laser comb

Abstract not availableWenle Weng, Aleksandra Kaszubowska-Anandarajah, Prince M. Anandarajah, and Andre N. Luite

Microresonator Dissipative Kerr Solitons Synchronized to an Optoelectronic Oscillator

Using phase-modulation-induced potential gradient whose period is synchronized to a microwave optoelectronic oscillator, dissipative Kerr solitons generated in a crystalline optical microresonator are trapped by the soliton tweezing effect, exhibiting a stabilized soliton repetition rate. In the meantime, side-mode suppression of the microwave signal is enabled by the photodetection of the soliton train. Substantiated both experimentally and theoretically, the hybrid system produces a drift-reduced microcomb and a spectrum-purified optoelectronic oscillator simultaneously, yielding a low-cost toolkit for microwave and optical metrology.Wenle Weng, Jijun He, Aleksandra Kaszubowska-Anandarajah, Prince M. Anandarajah, and Tobias J. Kippenber

Multi-carrier transmitter for future access networks

The authors present a multi-carrier transmitter based on a gain switched laser employed in a next generation access network. The simple, robust and cost efficient direct modulation based comb generation technique offers closely spaced coherent channels. Each of the channels is imposed with 2.5 Gbaud data using QPSK and 16-QAM formats. The authors also present a performance comparison between the commonly used coherent detection scheme and a novel receiver architecture based on a pilot tone aided direct detection scheme. The simplified low cost receiver, enabled by the phase correlated optical comb tones, eases the requirement for an expensive local oscillator (tunable laser), reduces the need for digital signal processing and also greatly enhances the phase noise tolerance of the system

Multi-carrier transmitter for future access networks

The authors present a multi-carrier transmitter based on a gain switched laser employed in a next generation access network. The simple, robust and cost efficient direct modulation based comb generation technique offers closely spaced coherent channels. Each of the channels is imposed with 2.5 Gbaud data using QPSK and 16-QAM formats. The authors also present a performance comparison between the commonly used coherent detection scheme and a novel receiver architecture based on a pilot tone aided direct detection scheme. The simplified low cost receiver, enabled by the phase correlated optical comb tones, eases the requirement for an expensive local oscillator (tunable laser), reduces the need for digital signal processing and also greatly enhances the phase noise tolerance of the system

Cascaded Fabry-Perot lasers for coherent expansion of wavelength tunable gain switched comb

We propose a simple potentially integrable configuration for expanding a wavelength tunable comb by cascading gain switched Fabry-Pe´rot lasers. A 10GHz spaced comb, exhibiting 13 coherent low-linewidth tones within a 3 dB window, and tunable over 20 nm is demonstrated

Discrete mode laser diodes for FTTH/PON applications up to 10 Gbit/s

Discrete Mode Laser Diodes (DMLDs) present an economic approach with a focus on high volume manufacturability of single mode lasers using a single step fabrication process. We report on a DMLD designed for operation in the 1550 nm window with high Side Mode Suppression Ratio (SMSR) over a wide temperature tuning range of -20 °C <T <95 °C. Direct modulation rates as high as 10 Gbit/s are demonstrated at both 1550 nm and 1310 nm. Transmission experiments were also carried out over single mode fibre at both wavelengths. Using dispersion pre-compensation transmission from 0 to 60 km is demonstrated at 1550 nm with a maximum power penalty measured at 60 km of 3.6 dB