Monolithically-integrated 8:1 SOA gate switch with small gain deviation and large input power dynamic range for WDM signals

We developed a highly uniform monolithically integrated 8-input and 1-output (8:1) SOA gate switch for a large-scale high-speed switching system. The gain fluctuation due to an internal interference was suppressed with a low loss 8:1 tapered MMI coupler. The device exhibited a very small gain deviation of <;2.0 dB for all wavelengths in the C-band, together with a high extinction ratio of >50 dB and an ON-state gain of >10 dB. We also demonstrated a penalty-free amplification of 8×10 Gb/s WDM signals with a large input power dynamic range of >9.8 dB.