Impact of Operational Parameters on Optimum Performance of SOA-Based Differential-Mode Wavelength Converters

This letter investigates the interdependencies of the operational parameters of semiconductor-optical-amplifier-based differential mode wavelength converters. Through numerical simulations, we relate the optimum device response to temporal phase variations in the two arms of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer and propose design guidelines for enhanced performance. Fundamental differences between the delayed-interference signal converter and differential cross-phase-modulation configurations are highlighted indicating that dynamic optimization of the phase-bias based on the input signal´s extinction ratio can improve the regenerative performance.