VCSEL-based broadband wavelength converter for ultra-wideband flexible spectrum data routing in optical interconnects

Abstract

Abstract High-speed real-time wavelength conversion at key data centre network nodes is an emerging fundamental functionality requirement for transparent content resolution, wavelength assignment and routing towards better utilization of network resources under dynamic traffic patterns. In this paper, we experimentally demonstrate the first vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL)-based broadband wavelength converter for ultra-wide wavelength routing in Datacom. An 850 nm multimode VCSEL is directly modulated with 8.5 Gbps data and successfully transmitted error-free over 100 m OM3 multimode fibre (MMF) with a receiver sensitivity of −16.04 dBm, and a total transmission penalty of 1.14 dB. The received data is then used to run two cascaded single mode VCSELs at 1550 nm within the network integration node, therefore achieving the first reported real-time inter-band wavelength converter to C-band. By exploiting VCSEL wavelength tuneability with changing bias current, we show that the converted wavelengths can be routed over 3.2 nm spectra range for integration into ITU-T 50 GHz flexible grid and beyond. The newly converted wavelengths are successfully transmitted over 24.7 km of G 655 single mode fibre, achieving a minimum receiver sensitivity of −14.28 dBm, with a maximum transmission penalty of 2.72 dB. This work offers a viable enabling development technology for broadband wavelength converters for real-time wavelength routing in optical interconnects to address content resolution and wavelength assignment problem for current and future Datacom.