Optimization of the frequency response of a semiconductor optical amplifier wavelength converter using a fiber Bragg grating

Cross-gain modulation in a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) is one of the simplest techniques for all-optical wavelength conversion. However, the finite gain recovery time of the semiconductor optical amplifier causes distortion and pattern dependence at high bit rates. Here we show that filtering the output of a semiconductor optical amplifier wavelength converter with the transmission edge of a fiber grating filter improves its frequency response. The grating sharpens the transition between the bits by converting the phase modulation at the edge to useful amplitude modulation. We determine the filtering condition that produces the optimum frequency response and reduces bit-pattern dependence for nonreturn-to-zero (NRZ) data. For small modulation, the apparent frequency response increases by the linewidth enhancement factor /spl alpha//sub H/ of the SOA. In this case, pattern dependence is eliminated completely by the fiber grating filter. For large modulation, pattern dependence can be substantially reduced, but not completely eliminated. We show that after spectral filtering, the residual pattern dependence of an SOA depends only on modulation depth. For a given SOA, we find the optimum grating for minimum conversion penalty at 12 Gb/s for a wide range of operating parameters. Using a fiber grating filter reduces the required optical power for conversion in a semiconductor optical amplifier.