Symmetric highly efficient (/spl sim/0 dB) wavelength conversion based on four-wave mixing in quantum dot optical amplifiers

Author

Akiyama, Tomoyuki ; Kuwatsuka, Haruhiko ; Hatori, Nobuaki ; Nakata, Yoshiaki ; Ebe, Hiroji ; Sugawara, Mitsuru

Author_Institution

Fujitsu Labs. Ltd., Atsugi, Japan

Volume

14

Issue

8

fYear

2002

Firstpage

1139

Lastpage

1141

Abstract

Conversion efficiency to longer wavelengths in four-wave-mixing-based wavelength conversion in optical semiconductor amplifiers is generally much lower than that in the opposite direction. This study demonstrates experimentally that this feature is drastically improved, and the asymmetry between conversion directions is eliminated by using quantum dots in the active layer. We attribute this to a reduction in linewidth enhancement factor due to the discreteness of the electron states in quantum dots.

Keywords

laser theory; multiwave mixing; nonlinear optical susceptibility; optical hole burning; optical wavelength conversion; semiconductor device models; semiconductor optical amplifiers; semiconductor quantum dots; spectral line breadth; symmetry; wavelength division multiplexing; WDM; active layer; asymmetry; conversion directions; electron states discreteness; four-wave mixing; four-wave-mixing-based wavelength conversion; linewidth enhancement factor reduction; optical semiconductor amplifiers; quantum dot optical amplifiers; quantum dots; symmetric highly efficient wavelength conversion; Electrons; Four-wave mixing; Nonlinear optics; Optical amplifiers; Optical mixing; Optical wavelength conversion; Quantum dots; Semiconductor optical amplifiers; Stimulated emission; Wavelength conversion;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1041-1135

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/LPT.2002.1021995

Filename

1021995