All-optical Demultiplexing Using an Electroabsorption Modulator

In the last decade, the electroabsorption modulator (EAM) (essentially a reverse biased semiconductor optical amplifier) has found an increasingly wider range of applications within optical communications, although mostly at the research level. Recently, all-optical signal-processing such as wavelength conversion, demultiplexing, and signal regeneration using an EAM have also been experimentally demonstrated, and lately theoretical calculations of wavelength conversion and signal regeneration have been presented. These functionalities are important for constructing ultrahigh-speed all-optical networks.Here, we present modeling results of all-optical demultiplexing from 80 to 10 Gbit/s using an EAM. Our large-signal model for the reverse-biased quantum well absorber is based on a detailed gain model, and was originally developed for studying colliding-pulse mode-locked lasers. Sweep-out of photo-generated carriers from the active region is a limiting factor for the device speed. Based on experimental results in we assume a sweep-out time of 8 ps.We demonstrate and explain a critical dependence of the quality of the demultiplexed signal on device length and input power levels. The extinction ratio between the channel to be demultiplexed, and the other OTDM channels is shown to saturate at a value which increases with the signal input power.