Abstract

Optical gates and frequency converters are expected to play a major role in future high capacity communications networks to avoid the speed limitations imposed by electronic switching blocks. Semiconductor optical amplifiers are attractive components for optical gating because of their relatively low power consumption and ability to compensate for the optical losses.^1-3 Previous work in this field includes bistable frequency converters operating at 500 Mbit/s,⁴ as well as electrically controlled MQW gates operating at 6 Gbit/s with an rf power of +31.7 dBm.⁵ Here we demonstrate an optically controlled gate/frequency converter that operates at 2.5 Gbit/s with a coupled optical control signal of −11.7 dBm. The optically controlled gate has the advantage that the control signal can be generated away from the gate so that heating from electronic drivers is avoided.

© 1992 Optical Society of America