Abstract

Multilevel modulation format allows data signals to be transmitted at a higher bit-rate than binary modulation without the need to increase the existing bandwidth of the electronic and optoelectronic components. Using various multiplexing, coherent or multi-level techniques, the bit-rate can be increased at a given symbol rate, thereby reducing the transmission impairment associated with a high symbol rate [1], In particular, the combination of amplitude shiftkeying and phase shift-keying modulation fonnats is of great interest. To perform wavelength conversion of data signals containing the phase information, four-wave mixing (FWM) can be exploited since it is a phase preserving process [2], However, FWM is polarization sensitive and it cannot be directly applied for the nonlinear processing of a polarization multiplexed signal. In this work, we demonstrate wavelength conversion of a polarization multiplexed RZ-ASK-DPSK signal using FWM in a 32-cm Bi-NLF incorporated in a polarization diversity loop.

© 2007 IEEE