Novel ultrafast all-optical nonreturn-to-zero to return-to-zero format converter based on Sagnac interferometric structure

This paper describes the demonstration of a simple all-optical data format conversion scheme between return-to-zero (RZ) and nonreturn-to-zero (NRZ) that employs a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) in a nonlinear optical loop mirror. The format conversion has been performed between the most widely used data formats-NRZ and RZ formats. The format conversion scheme is based on gain variation by an intensity-dependent phase change in an SOA-loop mirror. The input data stream acts as a control signal that induces the phase differences between clockwise- and counterclockwise-propagating data inside an SOA-loop mirror. It is possible to change the data format of the output data stream by controlling the phase differences of the clockwise and counterclockwise pulse in an SOA-loop mirror appropriately. For the converted NRZ data from RZ data, 10-Gb/s error-free transmission up to 78 km over standard single-mode fiber has been obtained. By comparing the conventional NRZ transmission with the Mach-Zehnder modulation scheme, the proposed RZ-to-NRZ conversion shows an improved transmission performance. The NRZ-to-RZ conversion has clear eye openings up to 78 km. On the contrary, the conventional RZ binary data from a mode-locked laser has a nearly closed eye even at 52 km. The converted RZ data has a 2-dB conversion power margin to the injected NRZ data, which indicates an increase in the receiver sensitivity due to the signal format conversion. The improved transmission distance of the converted RZ signal is due to the duobinary coding effect of the SOA-loop mirror. The SOA has the possibility of high-speed operation over 40 Gb/s, and the SOA-loop mirror has the capabilities of format and wavelength conversions. Therefore, the SOA-loop mirror can be a universal building block in future all-optical networks. In addition, the proposed format conversion scheme can serve as an important format converter between the ultrafast optical-time-division-multiplexed networks and the lower line-rate wavelength-division-multiplexed networks.

We have demonstrated an extinction ratio improvement of more than 3 dB at 2.5 Gb/s with a method based on four-wave mixing in a semiconductor optical amplifier. A wavelength conversion and a data format conversion from nonreturn-to-zero (NRZ) to return-to-zero (RZ) have been simultaneously achieved.

All-optical non-return-to-zero (NRZ) -to- return-to-zero (RZ) data-format conversion has been successfully demonstrated using a semiconductor optical amplifier in a fiber-loop mirror (so-called SOA-loop mirror) with a continuous-wave (CW) holding beam. The converted RZ signal after pulse compression has been used to create a 40 Gb/s OTDM (Optical Time Division Multiplexing) signal. Here is proposed an NRZ-to-RZ conversion method without any additional optical clocks, unlike conventional methods based on optical AND logic. In addition, it has the merit of operating at various bit-rate speeds without any controlling device. Moreover, it has a simple structure, and it can be used for all-optical bit-rate-flexible clock recovery.

Investigation of data format conversions based on MZI-SOA

We investigate return-to-zero (RZ) to non-return-to-zero (NRZ) format conversion by means of the linear time-invariant system theory. It is shown that the problem of converting random RZ stream to NRZ stream can be reduced to constructing an appropriate transfer function for the linear filter. This approach is then used to propose novel optimally-designed single fiber Bragg grating (FBG) filter scheme for RZ-OOK/DPSK/DQPSK to NRZ-OOK/DPSK/DQPSK format conversion. The spectral response of the FBG is designed according to the optical spectra of the algebraic difference between isolated NRZ and RZ pulses, and the filter order is optimized for the maximum Q-factor of the output NRZ signals. Experimental results as well as simulations show that such an optimally-designed FBG can successfully perform RZ-OOK/DPSK/DQPSK to NRZ-OOK/DPSK/DQPSK format conversion.

Under an optical nonreturn-to-zero (NRZ) data injection at 10 Gbit/s, the 10-GHz mode-locking and pulsed return-to-zero (RZ) clock extraction from a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) based fiber ring is investigated in this paper. The diagnoses on gain and intracavity-power-controlled anomalous blueshifted spectrum and subpicosecond timing jitter are demonstrated. By increasing the injecting power of the optical NRZ data from -3 to 8 dBm into the SOA bias at different currents, the mode locking is completed with a dc level greatly decreasing from 480 to 50 ¿W (only 1.5% of the mode-locked pulse power at 3 mW), corresponding to a pulse/dc amplitude contrast ratio up to 18 dB. Increasing the SOA bias current up to 350 mA significantly suppresses the timing jitter from 1.8 ps to 345 fs, and the extracted RZ clock pulse is shortened from 55 to 27 ps. The pulsewidth of the amplified SOAFL is compressed from 11 ps to 836 fs after dispersion compensation. At constant data injection level, the increasing SOA bias or gain oppositely redshifts the mode-locked SOA fiber ring laser (SOAFL) spectrum by 5 nm. The amplifier spontaneous emission of SOA at short wavelength region ( ~ 1520 nm) is eliminated with increasing NRZ data power, whereas the mode-locking gain peak arises and blueshifts from 1558 to 1552 nm due to the band-filling effect. Such a blueshift in mode-locking spectrum becomes more significant in SOA at lower bias (or gain) condition. A theoretical model interprets the correlation between the nonlinear gain suppression-induced variation of electron-hole plasma in SOA and the blueshifted mode-locking SOAFL spectrum, which is occurred when the gain saturation condition for the SOA becomes more pronounced.

A novel architecture of WDM/TDM PON system using all optical packet routing (AOPR) in optical line termination (OLT) is proposed in this paper. This architecture is design using cross gain modulation (XGM) none return to zero (NRZ) WDM to return to zero (RZ) optical time division multiplexing (OTDM) technique using Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (SOA) component. This study proved that without implementing 10Gbps OLT card in the system, four 2.5Gbps WDM downstream signals could be multiplexed to carry 10Gbps OTDM signal by utilizing the existing E/GPON network infrastructure. In addition, this architecture also proved that it could be deployed as an open platform of hybrid solution of WDM/TDM PON for 10Gbps and ready for 40Gbps and 100Gbps platform in the future. This paper is concluded with an analysis and discussion on the gain saturation effect in SOA components affecting the BER, Q factor and quality of the signal in the proposed system.

A tunable modulation format converter based on spectral line-by-line pulse shaper is proposed to realize different format conversions. The pulse shaper works as a format converter by setting its frequency response equivalent to the transform function between two formats. The working principles show that the format converter is suitable for different formats by adjusting its frequency response. Examples of format conversion from return to zero differential phase-shift keying (RZ-DPSK) to on-off keying (OOK) with different data packets and from return to zero (RZ) to non-return to zero (NRZ) are given. The results show that the format converter is not only suitable for different formats but also for random data packets.

Simultaneous all-optical multi-channel RZ and CSRZ to NRZ format conversion

Theoretical study of all-optical RZ to NRZ format conversion based on cascaded nanoporous silicon waveguides

An all-optical converter from return-to-zero (RZ) pulses to the nonreturn-to-zero (NRZ) format is presented. The converter operates in two stages: the laser generated in a gain-clamped semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) is modulated with the data signal; afterwards this signal is wavelength-converted by cross-gain modulation in a common SOA. The setup is noninverting and can feature wavelength conversion. Experimental error-free conversion from 5- and 40-ps RZ pulses to NRZ format is presented at 10 Gb/s using a 211-1 bit sequence

We propose a novel all-optical format conversion from nonreturn-to-zero (NRZ) to return-to-zero (RZ) based on single semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) and a detuning optical bandpass filter (OBF). By adopting the ultrafast SOA model associated with intraband mechanism, the 40Gb/s NRZ-to-RZ format conversion is successfully demonstrated with numerical simulation. We investigate the influence of the filter detuning, extinction ratio, conversion efficiency, output pulsewidth, and filter bandwidth. These simulation results confirm the feasibility of our scheme. The proposed scheme is robust and potential for applications in future optical networks.

Optical fiber communication has characteristics that really need attention. The characteristics of fiber optic transmission are very important in designing optical fiber networks, one of which is widening pulses called dispersions. Dispersion is the widening of light pulses in optical fibers which reduces data speed, signal to noise ratio and system quality. In addition to dispersion compensation, which is the most important feature needed in fiber-optic communication systems; transmission power needs to be considered to produce optimal signal output. In this paper, we will simulate the optimization effect of power and fiber dispersion compensation on Non Return to Zero (NRZ) and Return to Zero (RZ) modulation on optical transmission systems, with 5 dBm power parameters, 10 dBm 15 dBm and 0 dBm and DCF 5 km, 10 km, 15 km, 20 km and 25 km. Simulation results show that dispersion compensation is very influential on the transmission system. From these two modulations, there are differences in the results between NRZ and RZ. The results of dispersion compensation also affect the input power and DCF length.

Optically preamplified receiver performance according to the vestigial sideband (VSB) filtering has been numerically investigated for 40-Gb/s optical signals modulated with nonreturn-to-zero, duobinary nonreturn-to-zero (NRZ), return-to-zero (RZ), carrier-suppressed RZ, and duobinary carrier-suppressed RZ formats. The VSB filtering enables the spectral widths of NRZ, duobinary NRZ, and RZ signals to be reduced without severe power penalties at the receiver. On the other hand, carrier-suppressed RZ and duobinary carrier-suppressed RZ signals have no large advantages over VSB filtering because of the characteristics of their signals. Our results suggest that RZ signals are the most suitable modulation format for VSB filtering, without considering the filter loss, because of the tolerance of the intersymbol interference and a large spectral width. However, duobinary NRZ signals are the most suitable modulation format for VSB filtering, considering the filter loss, because of their narrow spectral width.

Transmission performance of 100Gbit/s signal with non-return to zero (NRZ) and return to Zero (RZ) in single mode fiber (SMF) high-dispersion fiber is investigated. The bit error rate (BER) against transmission distance, laser power and chromatic dispersion is simulated and analyzed. The maximum transmission distance is obtained for different modulation format. Comparison of NRZ and RZ transmission over SMF high-dispersion fiber, it is shown clearly the advantage of NRZ modulation scheme for 100Gbit/s transmission over long SMF link. The scheme of chromatic dispersion compensation is also studied.KeywordsBit error rateNon-return to zero (NRZ)Return to zero (RZ)