Nonlinear optical effects in semiconductor optical amplifiers and their applications to all-optical switching
Journal
Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Journal Volume
4580
Pages
124-130
Date Issued
2001
Date
2001
Author(s)
Wang, Jyh-Yang
Chen, Horng-Shyang
Hsu, Chih-Wei
Lai, Jiann-Chang
Wang, Ding-An
Chen, Chih-Chang
Abstract
Gain saturation and the induced refractive index variation in semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) have been widely used for many optoelectronics operations, including frequency conversion, phase conjugation, switching, modulation, and laser mode locking. In this paper, we report the experimental and numerical results of using gain saturation in SOAs for all-optical switching and novel laser mode locking configurations. For all-optical switching, we fabricated an all-SOA nonlinear optical loop mirror and implemented efficient power-dependent switching in both cw and pulse modes. Also, numerical modeling was also conducted to show consistent trends with experimental data. For novel laser mode-locking configurations, we demonstrated numerically efficient operation of mode-locked semiconductor laser with multi-mode interference SOA structures. With the nonlinear coupling process, it was found that efficient pulse compression could be achieved, implying that stable mode locking is feasible. Also, with a ring cavity colliding-pulse mode locking can be implemented.
Subjects
Gain saturation; Laser mode locking; Nonlinear optical loop mirror; Semiconductor optical amplifier
SDGs
Other Subjects
Laser mode locking; Light interference; Mathematical models; Mirrors; Nonlinear optics; Optical fiber coupling; Semiconducting aluminum compounds; Semiconducting gallium arsenide; Semiconductor device manufacture; Semiconductor device structures; Semiconductor quantum wells; Switching functions; All-optical switching; Multi-mode interference; Nonlinear coupling process; Nonlinear optical effects; Semiconductor optical amplifier; Semiconductor lasers
Type
conference paper
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