Performance analysis of an all-optical wavelength converter using a semiconductor optical amplifier simulator

An analysis of the performance of a semiconductor optical amplifier-based all-optical wavelength converter is presented. The converter relies on cross-gain modulation between a CW beam (target at 1552.4 nm) and a random data stream (pump at 1550 nm). A well-validated simulator is used to evaluate the extinction ratio and, for the first time with this device, the quality factor Q of the converted signal. An improvement of Q is observed when the average input power of the data stream, but particularly of the probe, is increased. In contrast, a decrease of the average input power of the input signals leads to a better extinction ratio. A trade-off between Q and the extinction ratio has then to be set in order to optimize the device performance.