Integrated Semiconductor Optical Amplifier Research Articles

SOA-REAM Assisted Synaptic Receptor for Weighted-Sum Detection of Multiple Inputs

Neuromorphic photonics is a promising research field due to its potential to tackle the limitations arising from the bottleneck of the von-Neumann computation architecture. Inspired by the characteristics and behavior of the biological brain, photonic neural networks are touted as a solution for solving complex problems that require GHz operation at low latency and low power consumption. An essential building block of such a neural network is a low-complexity multiply-accumulate operation, for which efficient functional implementations in the optical domain are sought for. Towards this direction, we present a synaptic receptor that functionally integrates weighting and signal detection. This optical multiply-accumulate operation is accomplished through a monolithic integrated semiconductor optical amplifier and reflective electro-absorption modulator, which together serve as a colorless frequency demodulator and detector of frequency-coded signals. Moreover, we show that two spike trains can be simultaneously processed with alternating signs and detected as a weighted sum. The performance of the proposed synaptic receptors is further validated through a low bit error ratio for signal rates of up to 10 Gb/s.

DFB laser array based on four phase-shifted sampled Bragg gratings with precise wavelength control.

A four-laser array based on sampled Bragg grating distributed feedback (DFB) lasers in which each sampled period contains four phase-shift sections is proposed, fabricated, and experimentally demonstrated. The wavelength spacing between adjacent lasers is accurately controlled to 0.8 nm ± 0.026 nm and the lasers have single mode suppression ratios larger than 50 dB. Using an integrated semiconductor optical amplifier, the output power can reach 33 mW and the optical linewidth of the DFB lasers can be as narrow as 64 kHz. This laser array uses a ridge waveguide with sidewall gratings and needs only one metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy (MOVPE) step and one III-V material etching process, simplifying the whole device fabrication process, and meeting the requirements of dense wavelength division multiplexing systems.

224-Gbit/s 4-PAM operation of a high-modulation-bandwidth high-output-power Hi-FIT AXEL transmitter.

We fabricated an optical transmitter with high frequency and integrated design based on the flip-chip interconnection technique (Hi-FIT) and assisted extended reach electroadsorption modulator integrated distributed feedback (EADFB) laser (AXEL) for 200-Gbit/s/λ application. The Hi-FIT makes it possible to increase modulation bandwidth thanks to wire-free interconnection and peaking control techniques while the AXEL can increase the optical modulation output power thanks to an integrated semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). The fabricated Hi-FIT AXEL transmitter has a 3-dB bandwidth of more than 66 GHz. We obtained clear 224-Gbit/s 4-level pulse amplitude modulation (4-PAM) eye diagrams with a chip-output optical modulation amplitude (OMA) of more than +7.9 dBm at distributed feedback (DFB) laser and SOA currents of 70 and 30 mA, respectively.

Low-Threshold, High-Power On-Chip Tunable III-V/Si Lasers with Integrated Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers

Heterogeneously integrated III-V/Si lasers and semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) are key devices for integrated photonics applications requiring miniaturized on-chip light sources, such as in optical communications, sensing, or spectroscopy. In this work, we present a widely tunable laser co-integrated with a semiconductor optical amplifier in a heterogeneous platform that combines AlGaInAs multiple quantum wells (MQWs) and InP-based materials with silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers containing photonic integrated circuits. The co-integrated device is compact, has a total device footprint of 0.5 mm2, a lasing current threshold of 10 mA, a selectable wavelength tuning range of 50 nm centered at λ = 1549 nm, a fiber-coupled output power of 10 mW, and a laser linewidth of ν = 259 KHz. The SOA provides an on-chip gain of 18 dB/mm. The total power consumption of the co-integrated devices remains below 0.5 W even for the most power demanding lasing wavelengths. Apart from the above-mentioned applications, the co-integration of compact widely tunable III-V/Si lasers with on-chip SOAs provides a step forward towards the development of highly efficient, portable, and low power systems for wavelength division multiplexed passive optical networks (WDM-PONs).

Monolithically Integrated Dual-Wavelength Distributed Bragg Reflector Laser Photonic Integrated Circuit Chip for Continuous-Wave Terahertz Generation

We report the design, fabrication and characterization of a 1.55-μm dual-wavelength Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) laser photonic integrated circuit (PIC) chip for continuous-waves (CW) terahertz generation. The PIC chip consists of a pair of parallel DBR lasers with integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA), and a multimode interference (MMI) coupler for combining the two wavelength channels into a single output waveguide. A room temperature continuous wave THz tuning range of 0.06 THz - 0.71 THz was obtained through optical heterodyne technique.

InP high power monolithically integrated widely tunable laser and SOA array for hybrid integration.

We present a monolithic InP-based photonic integrated circuit (PIC) consisting of a widely tunable laser master oscillator feeding an array of integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers that are interferometrically combined on-chip in a single-mode waveguide. We demonstrate a stable and efficient on-chip coherent beam combination and obtain up to 240 mW average power from the monolithic PIC, with 30-50 kHz Schawlow-Townes linewidths and >180 mW average power across the extended C-band. We also explored hybrid integration of the InP-based laser and amplifier array PIC with a high quality factor silicon nitride microring resonator. We observe lasing based on gain from the interferometrically combined amplifier array in an external cavity formed via feedback from the silicon nitride microresonator chip; this configuration results in narrowing of the Schawlow-Townes linewidth to ∼3 kHz with 37.9 mW average power at the SiN output facet. This work demonstrates a new approach toward high power, narrow linewidth sources that can be integrated with on-chip single-mode waveguide platforms for potential applications in nonlinear integrated photonics.

Monolithic Integrated Semiconductor Optical Amplifier With Broad Spectrum, High Power, and Small Linewidth Expansion

Semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) offer direct electrical injection, power consumption, integration, and anti-radiation advantages over optical fiber amplifiers. However, saturation output power and gain bandwidth have been limited in traditional structure SOAs. We demonstrate a monolithic integrated SOA with broad spectrum, high power, high gain, and small spectral linewidth expansion. The device adopts a two-stage amplified large optical cavity structure, and a lower optical field confinement factor is obtained by adjusting the thickness of the waveguide layer. The lower optical field confinement factor is conducive to improving the coupling efficiency and the maximum output power. Our device, fabricated only by standard i-line lithography with micron-scale precision, obtains excellent and stable performance. When the input power is set to 1 mW, the output power is 419 mW with a gain of 26.23 dB. When the input power is set to 25 mW at 25 °C, the output power increases to 600 mW with a gain of 13.8 dB. The corresponding gain bandwidth of 3 dB measures at least 70 nm. The spectral linewidth after the SOA is 1.15 times wider than that of the seed laser.

High Density Multi-Channel Passively Aligned Optical Probe for Testing of Photonic Integrated Circuits

In this work we report the results of high density multi-channel optical multiprobes with pitches of 25 μm and 50 μm that provide edge-coupling used for on-wafer parallel testing of photonic integrated circuits. The probes are fabricated in an oxynitride platform and test demonstrations were carried out of edge-coupled indium-phosphide based photonic integrated circuits (PICs). Thirty-two optical parallel connections are simultaneously, passively aligned between the probe and the PIC by means of integrated guiding channels. The initial placement tolerance is more than 4 μm to give a passive alignment with an optical power variation of less than 1 dB. Multi-port loop-back optical power measurements are reported and the wavelength-dependent net modal gain of integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers was measured to further validate the concept.

Extended L-band monolithically tunable InAs/InP quantum-dash multimode laser with integrated amplifier

A two-sectioned InAs/InP quantum dash laser structure is proposed and investigated as a monolithic broadband multimodal tunable laser with an integrated semiconductor optical amplifier. The optical power-injection current and spectral characteristics of the device at different operating conditions demonstrated a total wavelength tunability of ∼15.8 nm in the extended-L-band (∼1615 to ∼1630.8 nm) window with ∼2.0 times −3 dB bandwidth enhancement. Furthermore, due to the unique tunability mechanism of forward biasing the amplifier section, the device exhibits simultaneous wavelength tuning as well as optical amplification features, with an estimated gain of ∼8.5 dB affirmed by an increase in the wall-plug efficiency up to 6.8% from 3.9%, shown by its single-section counterpart. This demonstration paves a potential platform for the deployment of broadband quantum-dash laser-amplifiers as unified light sources in next-generation optical access networks.

Heterogeneous III-V on silicon nitride amplifiers and lasers via microtransfer printing

The development of ultralow-loss silicon-nitride-based waveguide platforms has enabled the realization of integrated optical filters with unprecedented performance. Such passive circuits, when combined with phase modulators and low-noise lasers, have the potential to improve the current state of the art of the most critical components in coherent communications, beam steering, and microwave photonics applications. However, the large refractive index difference between silicon nitride and common III-V gain materials in the telecom wavelength range hampers the integration of electrically pumped III-V semiconductor lasers on a silicon nitride waveguide chip. Here, we present an approach to overcome this refractive index mismatch by using an intermediate layer of hydrogenated amorphous silicon, followed by the microtransfer printing of a prefabricated III-V semiconductor optical amplifier. Following this approach, we demonstrate a heterogeneously integrated semiconductor optical amplifier on a silicon nitride waveguide circuit with up to 14 dB gain and a saturation power of 8 mW. We further demonstrate a heterogeneously integrated ring laser on a silicon nitride circuit operating around 1550 nm. This heterogeneous integration approach would not be limited to silicon-nitride-based platforms: it can be used advantageously for any waveguide platform with low-refractive-index waveguide materials such as lithium niobate.

1.55-μm AlGaInAs/InP Sampled Grating Laser Diodes for Mode Locking at Terahertz Frequencies

We report mode locking in lasers integrated with semiconductor optical amplifiers, using either conventional or phase-shifted sampled grating distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs). For conventional sampled gratings with a continuous grating coupling coefficient of ∼80 cm−1, mode locking was observed at a fundamental frequency of 628 GHz and second harmonic of 1.20 THz. The peak output power was up to 142 mW. In the phase-shifted sampled grating design, the grating is present along the entire length of the reflector with π-phase-shifted steps within each sampled section. The effective coupling coefficient is, therefore, increased substantially. Although the continuous grating coupling coefficient for the phase-shifted gratings was reduced to ∼23 cm−1 because of a different fabrication technology, the lasers demonstrated mode locking at fundamental repetition frequencies of 620 GHz and 1 THz, with a much lower level of amplified spontaneous emission seen in the output spectra than from conventional sampled grating devices. High pulse reproducibility and controllability over a wide operation range was seen for both types of grating, but the π-phase-shifted gratings already demonstrate fundamental mode locking to 1 THz. The integrated semiconductor optical amplifier makes sampled grating DBR lasers ideal pump sources for generating terahertz signals through photomixing.

Lossless microwave photonic delay line using a ring resonator with an integrated semiconductor optical amplifier

Optical delay lines implemented in photonic integrated circuits (PICs) are essential for creating robust and low-cost optical signal processors on miniaturized chips. In particular, tunable delay lines enable a key feature of programmability for the on-chip processing functions. However, the previously investigated tunable delay lines are plagued by a severe drawback of delay-dependent loss due to the propagation loss in the constituent waveguides. In principle, a serial-connected amplifier can be used to compensate such losses or perform additional amplitude manipulation. However, this solution is generally unpractical as it introduces additional burden on chip area and power consumption, particularly for large-scale integrated PICs. Here, we report an integrated tunable delay line that overcomes the delay-dependent loss, and simultaneously allows for independent manipulation of group delay and amplitude responses. It uses a ring resonator with a tunable coupler and a semiconductor optical amplifier in the feedback path. A proof-of-concept device with a free spectral range of 11.5 GHz and a delay bandwidth in the order of 200 MHz is discussed in the context of microwave photonics and is experimentally demonstrated to be able to provide a lossless delay up to 1.1 to a 5 ns Gaussian pulse. The proposed device can be designed for different frequency scales with potential for applications across many other areas such as telecommunications, LIDAR, and spectroscopy, serving as a novel building block for creating chip-scale programmable optical signal processors.

Monolithically Integrated Wavelength Converter for Intra-Data Center Routing Applications

A wideband wavelength converter based on cross gain modulation has been demonstrated by using a monolithically integrated semiconductor optical amplifier and 12-channel distributed feedback lasers. Error-free operation unicast wavelength conversion of 10-Gb/s non-return-to-zero ON–OFF keying data payload has been demonstrated with 3-dB power penalty and around 0.5 dB extra penalty for transmission over 2-km single-mode fiber for intra-data center application. Performance of the wavelength converter multicasting operation of two channels has also been assessed by controlling the distributed-feedback lasers. Experimental results show 4.5 dB power penalty after multicast wavelength conversion. The wavelength conversion of uni-/multi-casting operations would provide a compact, low power, and low-cost solution for wavelength routing-based intra-data center networking applications.

56 Gb/s L-band InGaAlAs ridge waveguide electroabsorption modulated laser with integrated SOA

We demonstrate an L-band InGaAlAs based electroabsorption modulated DFB laser integrated with a semiconductor optical amplifier. The device can be operated with up to 56 Gb s−1 with low chirp and high output power. The device is realized with one common InGaAlAs multi quantum well structure for low fabrication costs and high yield. We describe important aspects of the device structure and present a DC and RF characterization. For the experimental characterization the focus lies on the influence of the integrated semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) on the device performance. Cross-sectional view of electroabsorption modulated DFB laser integrated with semiconductor optical amplifier.

Electroabsorption-modulated widely tunable DBR laser transmitter for WDM-PONs.

We present an InP based distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) laser transmitter which has a wide wavelength tuning range and a high chip output power for wavelength division multiplexing passive optical network (WDM-PON) applications. By butt-jointing InGaAsP with 1.45 µm emission wavelength as the material of the grating section, the laser wavelength can be tuned for over 13 nm by the DBR current. Accompanied by varying the chip temperature, the tuning range can be further enlarged to 16 nm. With the help of the integrated semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA), the largest chip output power is over 30 mW. The electroabsorption modulator (EAM) is integrated into the device by the selective-area growth (SAG) technique. The 3 dB small signal modulation bandwidth of the EAM is over 13 GHz. The device has both a simple tuning scheme and a simple fabrication procedure, making it suitable for low cost massive production which is desirable for WDM-PON uses.

Flexible broadcasting and multicasting in 4λ × 10 Gb/s AOPR TWDM PON system

In this letter, we propose a new architecture of Time Wavelength Division Multiplexing Passive Optical Network (TWDM PON) system to support dynamic multi wavelength allocation (DMWA) in both upstream and downstream directions using an integrated semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) and arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) with multi wavelength select continuous wave (CW) pump probe signal module. The significance of this architecture is the flexible routing function with the capability of multicasting and broadcasting between multiple optical line terminal (OLT) PON port with multiple optical distribution network (ODN) link using a new wavelength tuning free (WTF) OLT transmitter module to eliminate wavelength tuning delay in downstream signal utilizing multicasting Cross Gain Modulation (XGM) wavelength conversion. The experimental results show that 4λ×10-Gb/s TWDM PON system can be used to connect 4096 users with the conventional fixed wavelength OLT transceivers with 36dB link loss.

Mode-locking and frequency mixing at THz pulse repetition rates in a sampled-grating DBR mode-locked laser.

We report a sampled grating distributed Bragg reflector (SGDBR) laser with two different gratings which mode-lock independently at respective pulse repetition frequencies of 640 and 700 GHz. The device operates in distinct regimes depending on the bias conditions, with stable pulse trains observed at 640 GHz, 700 GHz, the mean repetition frequency of 666 GHz, and the sum frequency of 1.34 THz (due to nonlinear mixing). Performance is consistent and highly reproducible with exceptional stability observed over wide ranges of drive bias conditions. Furthermore, a monolithically integrated semiconductor optical amplifier is used to amplify the pulse trains, providing an average output power of 46 mW at 666 GHz.

Integrable high order UWB pulse photonic generator based on cross phase modulation in a SOA-MZI

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a potentially integrable optical scheme to generate high order UWB pulses. The technique is based on exploiting the cross phase modulation generated in an InGaAsP Mach-Zehnder interferometer containing integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers, and is also adaptable to different pulse modulation formats through an optical processing unit which allows to control of the amplitude, polarity and time delay of the generated taps.

Integrated Multi-Bit All-Optical NOR Gate for High Speed Data Processing

In this paper, we study the use of integrated semiconductor optical amplifiers as the basic building block for larger-scale programmable photonic circuits. Making use of the non-linear response of these devices, we study the performance of 4-bit all-optical NOR gates based on fully integrable components for high speed all-optical look up tables. Feasibility of the proposed architecture is demonstrated by proof-of-concept experiments using both commercially available devices and photonic integrated circuits.

40 Gb/s Operation of SOA-REAM in Single-Feeder WDM-PON [Invited

The integrated semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) with a reflective electro-absorption modulator (REAM) is a promising candidate for the colorless optical network unit in a wavelength-division-multiplexed passive optical network (WDM-PON), due to its low chirp and wide bandwidth. However, 40 Gb/s operation of REAMs (bandwidth ≤ 20 GHz) still encounters severe intersymbol interference. Furthermore, Rayleigh backscattering (RB) and discrete reflections cause strong beat noise in WDM-PONs with single-fiber loopback configuration. In this paper, we present two novel techniques based on electrical equalization for a 40-Gb/s single-feeder WDM-PON based on SOA-REAM. The first method is to employ partial-response (PR) signaling and a noise predictive maximum likelihood (NPML) equalizer at the upstream receiver. The other one combines correlative level (CL) pre-coding with partial-response maximum likelihood (PRML) equalization. We experimentally demonstrate a 40-Gb/s uplink of 20 km using a 20-GHz SOA-REAM in a WDM-PON by both PR-NPML and CL-PRML. The results also verify the superiority of PR-NPML over the previously reported equalizers. Moreover, compared with PR-NPML, CL-PRML further improves the system performance. Experiments prove that the tolerance to beat noise and the receiver sensitivity are enhanced by 4 dB and 0.8 dB, respectively, at a bit error ratio of 2×10−4.