Ultrabroad-band wavelength converter based on four-wave mixing in a semiconductor optical amplifier

Two schemes for ultrabroad-band wavelength converters based on four-wave mixing in a semiconductor optical amplifier are proposed, both utilizing a conventional semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) and two orthogonal-pump waves. In scheme I, the efficiency of wavelength conversion is measured for the wavelength shifts from 1500 nm to 1 1640 nm. The variation of conversion efficiency is < 0.9 dB over the wavelength range from 1530 nm to 1560 nm (C-band). and is < 4.5 dB over the wavelength range from 1560 nm to 1610 nm (L-band). The maximum conversion efficiency is about -8.7 dB. In scheme II, wavelength conversion with the polarization sensitivity less than 1.3 dB is obtained over a range from 1510 nm to 1620 nm.