Abstract

Wavelength converter is a key component in future wavelength division photonic switching systems.¹ Tunable bistable laser is a potential candidate for this application owing to its high contrast ratio, low sensitivity to polarization and input wavelength² However, the optical triggering speed of such devices is usually limited to several hundreds of megabits per second by long fall time owing to long carrier lifetime in the absorber section. The highest speed reported so far is 125 Mbit/s with a bit-error-rate (BER) less than 10⁻⁹ without electrical reset.“ We report, to our knowledge, the first successful Gbit/s operation of multiple quantum well (MQW) two-electrode bistable lasers incorporating a proton bombarded absorber.

© 1993 Optical Society of America