Broadband return-to-zero wavelength conversion and signal regeneration using a monolithically integrated, photocurrent- driven wavelength converter

Broadband wavelength switching and signal regeneration experiments with 10 Gbit=s return-to-zero signals using a photocurrent-driven wavelength converter (PD-WC) are presented. For wavelength switching using an ideal input signal to the PD-WC, the device generates up to þ3.7 dB facet to facet gain and shows < 1 dB power penalty in bit error rate measurements. For wavelength switching with a degraded input signal, the PD-WC shows extinction ratio regeneration from 5 to > 11 dB, jitter reduction from 35 to 17 ps, significant eyeshape regeneration, and a 2.8 dB power penalty.