Noise analysis for optical frequency conversion using nearly degenerate four wave mixing in semiconductor optical amplifier

For future wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) networks, optical frequency conversion will enable the flexible and efficient use of optical frequency bandwidth. However, the signal degradation at frequency converters limits the maximum size of the network. Noise due to optical frequency conversion using nearly degenerate four wave mixing in a semiconductor optical amplifier is investigated, and it is found that the crosstalk from one of the two pump lasers can impose the power penalty on the bit error rate (BER) characteristics after optical frequency conversion. Analytical expressions for BER are developed and used to evaluate the receiver sensitivity penalty caused by optical frequency conversion. On the basis of these results the optimal setting of the frequency difference between the signal and pump lasers and the power ratio of the two pump lasers are discussed. A 155-Mb/s frequency-shift keying (FSK) transmission with 1750-GHz (14 nm) optical frequency conversion has been carried out, using a novel phase noise cancellation method. The BER performance is in good agreement with the calculated results