All-optical wavelength conversion in SOA-based Mach-Zehnder interferometer with monolithically integrated loss-coupled DFB laser diode

We demonstrated monolithic integration of a continuous wave probe source consisting of a loss-coupled distributed feedback laser diode (DFB LD) and a Mach-Zehnder interferometric wavelength converter. The integrated device was fabricated using a modified buried ridge stripe (BRS) structure with an undoped InP clad layer on the top of a passive waveguide to reduce high propagation loss. A propagation loss in the passive waveguide as low as 5.29 +/- 0.92 dB cm(-1) was achieved. For the first time, wavelength conversion at 10 Gb s(-1) was achieved with an extinction ratio of 7 dB and a power penalty of 2.8 dB at a 10(-9) bit error rate. The proposed BRS structure is very useful for fabrication of photonic integrated circuits consisting of monolithic integration of active and passive waveguides.