Chirp Control of an Electroabsorption Modulator to be used for Regeneration and Wavelength Conversion at 40 Gbit/s in All-Optical Networking

Abstract

Chirp control to produce low or negative values of chirp at the output of an electroabsorption modulator (EAM) is an important mechanism for reducing the signal degradation due to chromatic dispersion in high-speed transmission over standard single-mode fibre. An analytical model for the chirp performance of an EAM capable of optical regeneration and simultaneous wavelength conversion operating at 40 Gbit/s is derived. A chirp control approach is identified using this model by exploring the tradeoff between the α-parameter describing the chirp factor (based on the nonlinear absorption coefficients) and bias voltage requirements of an EAM. In particular, an optimum range of bias voltage is determined to ensure reduced chirp operation when a two-tone signal (i.e., comprised of bias and modulating voltages) is applied to the EAM. It is also demonstrated for large signal operation at 40 Gbit/s that the optimum range of reverse bias voltage is between 0 and 2 V to obtain low values for the chirp factor (between +1 and −2) in order to facilitate the necessary chirp control in all-optical networking. In addition, it is identified that at 40 Gbit/s higher positive values of the second- and third- order nonlinear coefficients of chirp must be avoided when operating at reverse bias voltages less than 1 V.