DocumentCode :
1200139
Title :
Self-switching in Mach-Zehnder interferometers with SOA phase shifters
Author :
Patent, E.A. ; van der Tol, J.J.G.M. ; Binsma, J.J.M. ; Oei, Y.S. ; Bente, E.A.J.M. ; Smit, M.K.
Author_Institution :
Opto-Electron. Devices Group, Eindhoven Univ. of Technol., Netherlands
Volume :
17
Issue :
11
fYear :
2005
Firstpage :
2301
Lastpage :
2303
Abstract :
A self-switching mechanism in Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZIs) is described. The input light signal is distributed unequally over the interferometer arms using an multimode interference (MMI) coupler. In the arms, semiconductor optical amplifiers are placed as nonlinear phase shifters. Unequal intensities yield a nonlinear phase shift. The signals from the two arms are then recombined in an output MMI coupler. If an obtained nonlinear phase shift in the arms can compensate the coupler-induced phase difference between the arms, the signals are in phase at the output port. Choosing an appropriate output coupler, 2×1 and 2×2 devices can be obtained. The 2×2 and 2×1 MZIs can be used as pattern effect compensators and 2R-regenerators or low-loss combiner circuits, respectively. An active-passive integration technique is applied in order to realize the interferometric structures. Fabrication, simulation, and characterization of these devices are presented in this letter.
Keywords :
Mach-Zehnder interferometers; integrated optics; optical couplers; optical phase shifters; optical repeaters; optical switches; semiconductor optical amplifiers; 2×1 devices; 2×2 devices; 2R-regenerators; Mach-Zehnder interferometers; SOA; active-passive integration; low-loss combiner circuits; multimode interference coupler; nonlinear phase shift; pattern effect compensators; phase shifters; self-switching; semiconductor optical amplifiers; Arm; Coupling circuits; Fabrication; Interference; Optical coupling; Optical interferometry; Phase shifters; Phase shifting interferometry; Radiative recombination; Semiconductor optical amplifiers; Integrated optics; Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZIs); self-switching; semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs);
fLanguage :
English
Journal_Title :
Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE
Publisher :
ieee
ISSN :
1041-1135
Type :
jour
DOI :
10.1109/LPT.2005.857615
Filename :
1522300
Link To Document :
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