Signal Degradation due to Output Filtering of Self-Seeded Gain-Switched Pulses Exhibiting Weak Inherent SMSR

The authors show the importance of achieving an acceptable level of output side mode suppression ratio, when generating pulses using the self seeded gain switched technique. Experiments carried out on such pulses exhibiting poor side-mode-suppressionratios that are subsequently filtered to improve the latter, demonstrate that they possess an associated level of noise. This buildup of noise with decreasing inherent side-modesuppression-ratio is noticed regardless of the improved output filtered side-modesuppression-ratio of 35 dB that is maintained. The degradation of the signal is due to the mode partition effect and may render these pulses unsuitable for use in high-speed optical communications systems. Copyright: 2005 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: 320.0320, 320.5390