Incoherent-to-coherent wavelength conversion using semiconductor optical amplifier

This paper reports for the first time an all-optical wavelength conversion of an incoherent optical signal to a coherent optical signal using the cross-gain modulation in semiconductor optical amplifiers. Wavelength division multiplexed networks using broadband sources have performance limited by beat noise; conversion from a noncoherent to a coherent signal eliminates beat noise and enables the elimination of the bit error rate floor.