All-optical wavelength converter based on Er-doped laser cavity and intracavity LD amplifier

An optical wavelength converter is proposed based on a laser cavity that has a laser-diode amplifier as an optically driven gain modulator and an Er-doped, slow-response gain medium. The device converts ASK signal wavelengths over /spl sim/8.7 nm. Though the converted NRZ data signal is inverted, it is amplified by 18 dB with its extinction ratios improved to nearly unity. Although the data rate converted in the experiment is no more than 0.5 Mb/s, high-gain planar-waveguide technology may reduce the cavity length and increase the data rate.<
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