High eye‐quality improvement by a single‐SOA regenerative wavelength converter

A simple all‐optical cross‐gain modulation (XGM) wavelength conversion scheme based on a single semiconductor optical amplifier with higher regeneration capabilities is presented. A proof of concept was performed at data rates from 0.6 to 13.5 Gbps for NRZ streams using the KyaTera/FAPESP buried fiber optical testbed. Good results were obtained for large lambda‐detuning (>10 nm), including conversion to the same wavelength. The best experiments achieved an improvement in the quality factor ( Q ‐factor) over 4 units with input signals deteriorated by the standard fiber dispersion, with an extinction ratio penalty of 1.5 dB. In addition, the converter presented a small dependence with the relative optical input signal polarization (around 1dB). © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 52: 441–445, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24906