All-Optical Swapping of Spectral Amplitude Code Labels Using Nonlinear Media and Semiconductor Fiber Ring Lasers

We compare three different approaches for low cost all-optical swapping of spectral amplitude code labels for packet-switched networks. The first uses cross-absorption modulation in an electroabsorption modulator within a semiconductor fiber ring laser (SFRL), the second uses cross-gain modulation (XGM) in a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) within an SFRL, and the third makes use of XGM in an SOA as well as injection locking in a Fabry-Perot laser diode for wavelength conversion. We examine both the static and dynamic responses of each for swapping a multiwavelength input label to a multiwavelength output label. The benefits and limitations of each approach as well as future improvements are discussed.