CHARACTERISATION OF

A NOVEL DUAL-CONTROL TOAD SWITCH

H Le-Minh, Z Ghassemlooy, and W P Ng


Optical Communications Research Group
School of Informatics, Engineering & Technology
Northumbria University, Newcastle, UK
Lancaster, 30/03 01/04/2005
Outlines
Introduction

All-optical switches

TOAD switch: single & dual control

Numerical modeling of SOA

Simulation Results

Conclusions
Introduction
To enhance high-capacity optical network

Multiplexing: DWDM and OTDM
Higher channel capacity (higher aggregate bit rate)

All optical switching:
Optical transparency: removing O-E-O conversions
Need an ultra-fast all-optical switches
All-Optical Switches
Are based on:

Nonlinear effect + optical interferometer

Configurations:
Nonlinear Optical Loop Mirror (NOLM)
Terahertz Optical Asymmetric Demultiplexer (TOAD)
Symmetric Mach-Zehnder (SMZ)
Ultrafast Nonlinear Interferometer (UNI)

TOAD Switch
Short fibre loop as the optical
interferometer: by the CW & CCW
data components

Input
Data
R
e
f
l
e
c
t
e
d

D
a
t
a

CW CCW
SOA
aZ0
o
0.707aZ0
o
0.707aZ90
o
T
asym
TOAD switch
Short fibre loop as the optical
interferometer: by the CW & CCW
data components
Semiconductor Optical Amplifier
(SOA) induces nonlinearity

( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) | |
t t G t G t G t G t G
CCW CW CCW CW TOAD
| A + = cos 2
4
1
( )
( )
( )
|
|
.
|

\
|
= A
t G
t G
t
CW
CCW
ln
2
o
|
Input
Data
Transmitted
Data
CW CCW
SOA
Control pulse (CP) saturates SOA
Switching window width is defined by the T
asym
TOAD switch
Short fibre loop (1 m) used as
the optical interferometer: by
the CW & CCW data components
Semiconductor Optical Amplifier
(SOA): induces nonlinearity

Advantages
Possible to integrate in chip
Low control pulse (CP) energy

Disadvantages
Asymmetric switching window
1. High inter-channel crosstalk
2. Distorted signal pulse shape
Input
Data
Control pulse (CP)
Transmitted
Data
CW CCW
SOA
Output
(Transmitted)
Input Switched
TOAD: Asymmetric Switching Window
CP
4 3
2
1
1
2
3
4
CW
direction
CCW
direction
0
x
L
SOA
L
SOA
x
Single CP
1
CW direction
No effected by CP ( fully
amplified after exiting SOA
Follows CP ( experience full
saturation effect after exiting
SOA
Same as pulse (3) if
T
SOA_recovery
>> T
SOA
CCW direction
2
3
4
1
This pulse meets CP at x/2 (
experienced saturation effects of
SOA segments up to x/2
2
Experienced more partial saturation
effect than pulse (1)
3
Experienced more partial saturation
effect than pulses (1), (2)
4
Any pulse following pulse (4) will
experience the full saturation effect
until SOA carrier density recovers
TOAD: Asymmetric Switching Window contd.
1
CW direction
No effected by CP ( fully
amplified after exiting SOA
Follows CP ( experience full
saturation effect after exiting
SOA
Same as pulse (3) if
T
SOA_recovery
>> T
SOA
CCW direction
2
3
4
1
This pulse meets CP at x/2 (
experienced saturation effects of
SOA segments up to x/2
2
Experienced more partial saturation
effect than pulse (1)
3
Experienced more partial saturation
effect than pulses (1), (2)
4
Any pulse following pulse (4) will
experience the full saturation effect
until SOA carrier density recovers
Reason: Difference of CW and CCW gain profiles
and not steep
CP
4 3 2 1
1 2 3 4
CW
direction
CCW
direction
0
x
L
SOA
L
SOA
x
Single CP
G
CW
(t)
G
CCW
(t)
Gain
Time
T
asym
SW
TOAD: Symmetric Switching Window
Cascading two TOAD switches (Prucnal02)

Using dual-control in single TOAD switch
SW1 SW2
Input
Data
Transmitted
Data
CW CCW
SOA
CP
CW
and CP
CCW
are identical
CP
CW
and CP
CCW
are simultaneously
applied to the SOA
Therefore, CW and CCW data
components will experience the same
amplification & saturation effects
(G
CW
(t) and G
CCW
(t) are the same but
delayed
TOAD: Symmetric Switching Window with Dual
Control Pulses
CW direction
1
Pulses before (1) do not meet CP
CCW

( experience full amplification
2 Partial saturation by CP
CCW

3 More partial saturation by CP
CCW

4
If x<L
SOA
/2, affected by CP
CW
(
saturated by segments up to L
SOA
/2
If x>L
SOA
/2, segments from L
SOA
/2 to
L
SOA
are further saturated by CP
CW

and CP
CCW
5
Pulses after (5) experience full double
saturation of SOA when all CPs exit
CCW direction
CP
CW
4
3
2
1
3
4
5
CW
direction
CCW
direction
0 L
SOA
1.5L
SOA

Dual-CP
CP
CCW
1
x
L
SOA
x
L
SOA
+ x
- x
5
- L
SOA
/2
2
The effects on CCW data pulses are
exactly same as in CW direction!
TOAD: Symmetric Switching Window with Dual
Control Pulses
CW direction
1
Pulses before (1) do not meet CP
CCW

( experience full amplification
2 Partial saturation by CP
CCW

3 More partial saturation by CP
CCW

4
If x<L
SOA
/2, affected by CP
CW
(
saturated by segments up to L
SOA
/2
If x>L
SOA
/2, segments from L
SOA
/2 to
L
SOA
are further saturated by CP
CW

and CP
CCW
5
Pulses after (5) experience full double
saturation of SOA when all CPs exit
CCW direction
The effects on CCW data pulses are
exactly the same as in CW direction!
CP
CW
4 3 2
1 3 4 5
CW
direction
CCW
direction
0 L
SOA
1.5L
SOA

Dual-CP
CP
CCW
1
x
L
SOA
x
L
SOA
+ x
- x
5
- L
SOA
/2
2
Gain
G
CW
(t)
G
CCW
(t)
Time
SW
T
asym
Modeling of SOA
( )
( )
( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( ) ( )
1
1
1
, ,
,
,
, , ,
m T tot m
m
e
m
SOA e SOA p
m m m
g N k t N P k t
N k t
I
N k t t
qV A E
N k t N k t N k t
t
-
-
-

G -

D = - - D



= + D
k

k

-

1

k

+

1

( ) ( ) ( )
( )
( ) ( ) ( )
( )
( ) ( ) ( )
1 1
1 1
, 1, exp 1,
, 1, exp 1,
, , ,
cw m cw m m T
ccw m ccw m m T
tot m cw m ccw m
P k t P k t g N k t N L
P k t P k t g N k t N L
P k t P k t P k t
- -
- -

= - G - - D



= + G + - D


= +
1. SOA is divided into a number of small segments
2. At each segment, e.g. k
th
, the arriving powers are from CW & CCW directions
3. The carrier density at each segment is consequently updated by
Simulation Results I
Dual control: create the steep transitions in the temporal gain
profiles ( help to create the steep switching window edges
Gain profiles and switching windows
Simulation Results II
Carrier density in SOA when single control pulse going through
Time angle
Simulation Results III
SOA carrier density with both control pulses propagating within the
SOA
Time angle
Single control
Simulation Results IV
Dual control: induce less inter-channel crosstalk and less pulse-
shape distortion of switched pulse
Conclusions
Using dual-control pulses in a TOAD
configuration symmetric switching window
profile is obtained

Inter-channel crosstalk and distortion of
switched pulse are reduced

Thank you.
Question please?