40 Gb/s Field-Modulated Wavelength Converters for All-Optical Packet Switching

We present a high-functionality photonic integrated circuit that performs field-modulated wavelength conversion. This device incorporates an on-chip sampled grating distributed Bragg reflector laser for wide tunability. Wavelength conversion is accomplished using a preamplified semiconductor optical amplifier photodiode receiver interconnected with a traveling-wave modulator to form a high-speed optical gate. This paper discusses the design and performance of this device, as well as its potential for optical packet switching applications. Error-free wavelength conversion is demonstrated at 40 Gb/s with 1-3 dB power penalty compared with back-to-back transmission over 22 nm of input and output tuning. Output extinction in all cases is greater than 9 dB, and conversion efficiency ranges from -2 to -6 dB over the tuning range. This device additionally demonstrates the capability for external 10 Gb/s modulation, which can be used for optical label encoding.