All-optical Lyot-filter-assisted flip-flop operation using a semiconductor optical amplifier

All-optical flip-flop operation using external optical control is demonstrated in a single semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA)-based fiber ring laser with an intracavity Lyot filter. Its operation is based on the principle of cross-gain saturation in the SOA. A unique feature of this flip-flop is its ability to be set and reset at multiple wavelength pairs of an auxiliary continuous wave control light that is injected into the fiber ring cavity; this, together with the wide wavelength tunability of the Lyot filter makes the flip-flop potentially useful in wavelength-division multiplexing applications. Bistable output at 1571 nm with a contrast ratio of 20 dB between the two output power states of the flip-flop using -3 dBm power of the external optical control is demonstrated