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arXiv:0909.0668 · Optics Express

Theoretical Study of the Spurious-Free Dynamic Range of a Tunable Delay Line based on Slow Light in SOA

Perrine Berger, Jérôme Bourderionnet, Mehdi Alouini, Fabien Bretenaker, Daniel Dolfi

Published Oct 23, 2009• 23 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We developed a predictive model describing harmonic generation and intermodulation distortions in semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs). This model takes into account the variations of the saturation parameters along the propagation axis inside the SOA, and uses a rigorous expression of the gain oscillations harmonics. We derived the spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) of a slow light delay line based on coherent population oscillation (CPO) effects, in a frequency range covering radar applications (from 40 kHz up to 30 GHz), and for a large range of injected currents. The influence of the high order distortions in the input microwave spectrum is discussed, and in particular, an interpretation of the SFDR improvement of a Mach-Zehnder modulator by CPOs effects in a SOA is given.

DOI
10.1364/oe.17.020584

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We developed a predictive model describing harmonic generation and intermodulation distortions in semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs). This model takes into account the variations of the saturation parameters along the propagation axis inside the SOA, and uses a rigorous expression of the gain oscillations harmonics. We derived the spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) of a slow light delay line based on coherent population oscillation (CPO) effects, in a frequency range covering radar applications (from 40 kHz up to 30 GHz), and for a large range of injected currents. The influence of the high order distortions in the input microwave spectrum is discussed, and in particular, an interpretation of the SFDR improvement of a Mach-Zehnder modulator by CPOs effects in a SOA is given.
We developed a predictive model describing harmonic generation and intermodulation distortions in semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs). This model takes into account the variations of the saturation parameters along the propagation axis inside the SOA, and uses a rigorous expression of the gain oscillations harmonics. We derived the spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) of a slow light delay line based on coherent population oscillation (CPO) effects, in a frequency range covering radar applications (from 40 kHz up to 30 GHz), and for a large range of injected currents. The influence of the high order distortions in the input microwave spectrum is discussed, and in particular, an interpretation of the SFDR improvement of a Mach-Zehnder modulator by CPOs effects in a SOA is given.
In this paper, the fast and slow light effect of semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) under assist light injection is theoretically analyzed. Coherent population oscillation (CPO) is used to induce fast and slow light effect in the theoretical model. The effects of parameters such as modulation frequency, modulation current and assist optical power on phase delay are investigated under the assist light injection. These effects are then compared with the case without assist light injection. The simulation results show that the injection of assist light can increase the phase delay of the output optical signal and enhance the slow light effect. Furthermore, when the assist light optical power is in the range of 0–15 dBm, the slow light effect is strong.
The slow light effect in SOAs has many applications in microwave photonics such as phase shifting and filtering. Models are needed to predict slow light in SOAs and its dependence on the bias current, optical power and modulation index. In this paper we predict the slow light characteristics of a tensile-strained SOA by using a detailed time-domain model. The model includes full band-structure based calculations of the material gain, bimolecular recombination and spontaneous emission, a carrier density rate equation and travelling wave equations for the input signal and amplified spontaneous emission. The slow light effect is caused by coherent population oscillations, whereby beating between the spectral components of an amplitude modulated lightwave causes carrier density oscillations at the beat frequency, leading to changes in the group velocity. The resulting beat signal at the SOA output after photodetection, is phase shifted relative to the SOA input beat signal. The phase shift can be adjusted by controlling the optical power and bias current. However the beat signal gain is low at low frequencies, leading to a poor beat signal output signal-to-noise ratio. If the optical input and SOA drive current are simultaneously modulated, this leads to forced population oscillations that greatly enhance the low frequency beat signal gain. The model is used to determine the improvement in gain and phase response and its dependency on the optical power, bias current and modulation index. Model predictions show good agreement with experimental trends reported in the literature.
In this paper, the slow and fast light (SFL) effects of the semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) having certain facet reflections are theoretically investigated. The theoretical model is used to account for the SFL phenomenon causing the coherent population oscillation. The influence of the current modulation frequency, the value of the current, the linewidth enhancement factor, facet reflectivity as well as the relative phase of the modulated current on the phase delay in the SOA are studied. It is demonstrated that the SFL effect could be controlled by the modulation frequency, the value and relative phase of the current. Finally, it is shown that the magnitude of the SFL delay could be tuned by a change in the linewidth enhancement factor as well as the facet reflectivity of the SOA.
Based on the general mechanism of the coherent population oscillations, we propose the fundamental -harmonic fractional delay (FHFD) to evaluate the superluminal and slow light propagation in semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). The sinusoidal and square-wave signals in SOA are investigated with the propagation equations. It is shown that the superluminal and slow light always accompany the signal distortion, and FHFD depends on the signal distortion as well as the incident power, the modulation frequency, and the optical gain.
This paper presents theoretical and experimental analysis of up-converted coherent population oscillations (Up-CPO) in semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) for tunable optical phase shift applications at high frequencies. The study of Up-CPO frequency response is carried out by a small-signal analysis of a SOA modeled by two calculation sections in order to better take into account the nonlinear effects such as the SOA gain saturation. We demonstrate that we can fully determine the dynamic parameters of Up-CPO from the experimental frequency response of an optical probe signal obtained by cross-gain modulation mechanism. The Up-CPO frequency responses are measured for three SOAs with different cut-off frequencies up to 18.45 GHz. We finally validate experimentally the obtained analytical frequency responses for the three SOAs over different operating points, each characterized by the corresponding optical gain.