We propose a novel method of precisely measuring the polarization dependence of single pass gain (PDG) in a semiconductor optical amplifier integrated with spot-size convertors (SS-SOA). By averaging the signal gain of a SS-SOA over a wide wavelength range using the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) of an erbium doped fiber (EDF), the PDG can be accurately estimated. This is because the influence of gain ripples on the measurement results are drastically reduced. We successfully evaluated the PDG of an angled-facet SS-SOA, even before the process of anti-reflection coating, within a small error of 0.5dB. The EDF-ASE technique is useful in sampling tests and selecting angled-facet SS-SOA chips from wafers. The polarization dependence of the coupling efficiency (PDCE) between a SS-SOA and optical fiber is also evaluated by measuring the photo-current of the active layer for TE and TM input signals. It is possible, therefore, to specify the polarization characteristics of the active region and spot-size converter region, which are indispensable parameters for the design of the SS-SOA.

This paper describes design techniques for suppressing crosstalk in an optical transceiver module using PLC-hybrid-integration technologies and for achieving burst-mode operation with high sensitivity and wide dynamic range using CMOS-IC technologies. An arrangement that reduces the electrical crosstalk to less than -100 dB was designed using three-dimensional electromagnetic field analysis. The configurations of a newly developed instantaneous-response CMOS LD driver circuit is also described and instantaneous-response CMOS receiver circuit techniques are reviewed. With these techniques, we have succeeded in building optical transceiver modules for ATM-PON systems using PLC-hybrid-integration and inexpensive standard CMOS-IC fabrication processes. Under full-duplex operation at 156 Mb/s, fabricated transceiver modules showed receiver sensitivity of better than -34 dBm and dynamic range of over 28 dB, which satisfy both the class-B and class-C specifications recommended by ITU-T (International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication standardization sector) G983.1 for the optical transceiver module for an ONU (optical network unit).

We present an 88 wavelength-routing switch (WRS) that monolithically integrates tunable wavelength converters (TWCs) and an 88 arrayed-waveguide grating. The TWC consists of a double-ring-resonator tunable laser (DRR TL) allowing rapid and stable switching and a semiconductor-optical-amplifier-based optical gate. Two different types of dry-etched mirrors form the laser cavity of the DRR TL, which enable integration of the optical components of the WRS on a single chip. The monolithic WRS performed 18 high-speed wavelength routing of a non-return-to-zero signal at 10 Gbit/s. The switching operation was demonstrated by simultaneously using two adjacent TWCs.

Simultaneous wavelength conversion of multi-WDM channels is expected to be a key technique in near-future networks. In this paper, 4-channel wavelength conversion using four-wave mixing (FWM) in a hybrid wavelength selector is successfully demonstrated. The wavelength selector consists of two four-channel spot-size-converter-integrated semiconductor optical amplifier (SS-SOA) gate arrays on a planar-lightwave-circuit (PLC) platform and two PLC-arrayed-waveguide-gratings (AWGs). As the wavelength selector has an individual SS-SOA for the wavelength conversion of each channel, there is negligible interference between channels. Four WDM channels with an 2.5 Gb/s modulation were converted from 1555 to 1575 nm. Clear eye openings and only a small power penalty of less than 0.5 dB were observed. The receiver sensitivity was -31 dBm at a bit error rate (BER) of 10-9.

This paper describes design techniques for suppressing crosstalk in an optical transceiver module using PLC-hybrid-integration technologies and for achieving burst-mode operation with high sensitivity and wide dynamic range using CMOS-IC technologies. An arrangement that reduces the electrical crosstalk to less than -100 dB was designed using three-dimensional electromagnetic field analysis. The configurations of a newly developed instantaneous-response CMOS LD driver circuit is also described and instantaneous-response CMOS receiver circuit techniques are reviewed. With these techniques, we have succeeded in building optical transceiver modules for ATM-PON systems using PLC-hybrid-integration and inexpensive standard CMOS-IC fabrication processes. Under full-duplex operation at 156 Mb/s, fabricated transceiver modules showed receiver sensitivity of better than -34 dBm and dynamic range of over 28 dB, which satisfy both the class-B and class-C specifications recommended by ITU-T (International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication standardization sector) G983.1 for the optical transceiver module for an ONU (optical network unit).

We fabricated a 1.55-µm polarization insensitive Michelson interferometric wavelength converter (MI-WC). The MI-WC consists of a two-channel spot-size converter integrated semiconductor optical amplifier (SS-SOA) on a planar lightwave circuit (PLC) platform. Clear eye opening and no power penalty in the back-to-back condition were obtained at 10 Gb/s modulation. We also confirmed the polarization insensitive operation on the input signal. Moreover, for an application of the MI-WC to DWDM networks, we demonstrated the selective wavelength conversion of 2.5 G/s optical packets from Fabry-Perot laser diode (FP-LD) light to four ITU-T grid wavelengths. We confirmed the good feasibility of this technique for use in DWDM networks. The wavelength conversion we describe here is indispensable for future all-optical networks, in which optical signal sources without wavelength control will be used at user-end terminals.

We fabricated a 1.55-µm polarization insensitive Michelson interferometric wavelength converter (MI-WC). The MI-WC consists of a two-channel spot-size converter integrated semiconductor optical amplifier (SS-SOA) on a planar lightwave circuit (PLC) platform. Clear eye opening and no power penalty in the back-to-back condition were obtained at 10 Gb/s modulation. We also confirmed the polarization insensitive operation on the input signal. Moreover, for an application of the MI-WC to DWDM networks, we demonstrated the selective wavelength conversion of 2.5 G/s optical packets from Fabry-Perot laser diode (FP-LD) light to four ITU-T grid wavelengths. We confirmed the good feasibility of this technique for use in DWDM networks. The wavelength conversion we describe here is indispensable for future all-optical networks, in which optical signal sources without wavelength control will be used at user-end terminals.