Open AccessFast gain recovery rates with strong wavelength dependence in a non-linear SOA
Author(s) -
C. S. Cleary,
Mark Power,
Sebastian Schneider,
R.P. Webb,
Robert Manning
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.18.025726
Subject(s) - optics , wavelength , materials science , offset (computer science) , saturation (graph theory) , amplified spontaneous emission , physics , laser , mathematics , combinatorics , computer science , programming language
We report remarkably fast and strongly wavelength-dependent gain recovery in a single SOA without the aid of an offset filter. Full gain recovery times as short as 9 ps were observed in pump-probe measurements when pumping to the blue wavelength side of a continuous wave probe, in contrast to times of 25 to 30 ps when pumping to the red wavelength side. Experimental and numerical analysis indicate that the long effective length and high gain led to deep saturation of the second half of the SOA by the probe. The consequent absorption of blue-shifted pump pulses in this region resulted in device dynamics analogous to those of the Turbo-Switch.