Phase dynamics of semiconductor optical amplifiers at 10-40 GHz

The phase dynamics that occur in bulk InGaAsP-InP semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) in response to picosecond pulse excitations at 10 and 40 GHz are studied experimentally and numerically for various amplifier lengths. The time dependencies of the phase changes and of the absolute gain of the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE journal of quantum electronics 2003-11, Vol.39 (11), p.1394-1408
Main Authors: Schares, L., Schubert, C., Schmidt, C., Weber, H.G., Occhi, L., Guekos, G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amplifiers
Computer simulation
Dynamics
Gain measurement
Mathematical models
Multiplexing
Numerical simulation
Optical amplifiers
Optical pulses
Optical switches
Phase measurement
Phase shift
Pulse amplifiers
Pulse measurements
Semiconductor optical amplifiers
Switches
Time measurement
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Summary:The phase dynamics that occur in bulk InGaAsP-InP semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) in response to picosecond pulse excitations at 10 and 40 GHz are studied experimentally and numerically for various amplifier lengths. The time dependencies of the phase changes and of the absolute gain of the amplifier are measured simultaneously. The total phase shifts induced by 1.5-ps pulses at 10 GHz are higher than /spl pi/ in SOAs with active region lengths between 0.5 and 2 mm and exceed 2/spl pi/ in a 1.5-mm-long amplifier. Phase shifts above /spl pi/ are measured at 40 GHz in 1.5- and 2-mm-long SOAs. The dependence of the total phase shift on the amplifier bias current and length and on pump pulse energy is investigated. Numerical simulations based on a comprehensive time-domain SOA model allow us to confirm the experimental results for a wide range of amplifier parameters. In particular, SOAs with lengths up to 5 mm have been modeled, and the calculations suggest that the maximum phase shifts occur in amplifiers of approximately 2-mm length. The phase dynamics measurements are illustrated at the example of an optical time division multiplexing add-drop multiplexer, based on a SLALOM switch, gated by 10- or 40-GHz control pulses. We find that simultaneous good dropping and clearing is possible if the length and the operating conditions of the SOA in the switch are chosen such as to induce a full /spl pi/ phase shift.
ISSN:0018-9197
1558-1713
DOI:10.1109/JQE.2003.818316