Photonic analog-to-digital conversion using a red frequency chirp in a semiconductor optical amplifier

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Optical Engineering
• Semiconductor Devices

Background:

• Photonic analog-to-digital conversion (PADC) is crucial for high-speed signal processing.
• Conventional PADC methods face challenges with speed, quantization levels, and power requirements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and demonstrate a novel PADC scheme.
• To achieve high-speed, multi-level optical quantization using a simple architecture.
• To reduce the input signal power requirements for PADC.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing intensity-to-frequency conversion via a frequency chirp in a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA).
• Implementing optical quantization using a single SOA with parallel rectangular bandpass filters.
• Employing a quantum-dot SOA for enhanced performance.

Main Results:

• Achieved a sampling rate of 10 GigaSamples/s.
• Demonstrated eight-level optical quantization.
• Showcased significantly lower input signal pulse power requirements compared to existing PADC techniques.

Conclusions:

• The proposed PADC offers a simple yet effective method for high-speed, multi-level optical quantization.
• The use of a quantum-dot SOA in this scheme enhances performance and reduces power demands.
• This technology has the potential to advance optical signal processing and data acquisition systems.