High-speed All-optical Signal Processing using Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers

We describe the operating principle and performance of the 'turbo-switch', a new configuration of semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) that gives an enhanced high-speed response for all-optical switching without compromising the optical signal-noise ratio. Error-free wavelength conversion is obtained at 170 Gb/s based on the use of an offset Mach-Zehnder interferometric filter incorporating a turbo-switch. We also describe a 42.6 Gb/s XOR gate based on a novel interferometer configuration containing SOAs