Integrated High-Performance Tunable Wavelength Converter Technologies for Future Terrestrial and Avionic Optical Networks

Monolithically integrated widely-tunable wavelength converters are a family of photonic integrated circuits whose function is essential for wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) systems, particularly in functions like optical switching, wavelength routing and add/drop multiplexing. Wavelength conversion in WDM optical networks can potentially allow for much greater network flexibility and improved performance. Tunable all-optical wavelength converters allow data to be transferred from an input wavelength to a tunable output wavelength without passing the signal through electronics. To be practical, the wavelength converters need to be capable of stable operation, have a small footprint, operate with low power consumption and have a low cost. Monolithically integrating wavelength converters with tunable lasers has the potential to meet all of these requirements. These requirements fit naturally with the demands of current and future avionic networks and systems for low weight, footprint and low power consumption robust components. This paper gives an overview of the state-of-the-art in the field of integrated tunable wavelength converters, in particular focusing on the results related to the monolithic integrated wavelength converter research conducted at the University of California in Santa Barbara, as part of DARPA Microsystems Technology Office's Chip-Scale WDM (CS-WDM) program. The objective of the CS-WDM program was to develop and demonstrate novel chip-scale WDM component level technologies for use in networks on-board current and future military platforms, and to develop and evaluate innovative concepts in network design. These new WDM components and network concepts were intended to deliver significant improvements that are of particular benefit to military weapons systems, relative to conventional WDM methods.