Wavelength Converters

An all optical wavelength converter "imprints" digital information from one wavelength of light to another wavelength without passing the signal through electronics. Advances on photonic integrated circuit fabrication allow the integration of tunable lasers with wavelength converters on a single chip. Multi Mode Interference (MMI) optical splitters play a major role in tunable all-optical wavelength converters by allowing light to be used to separate light into a number of given pathways. Efforts are being made, through the use of software simulations, to optimize these MMI devices to make them more compact. This consequently makes the devices cheaper because more of them are able to fit on a single chip. The primary goal of the project is to be able to convert data at 40Gbps (Gigabits per second) over a 35nm tuning range. Through the use of fiber optic cables we are able to observe whether the devices on chips work properly and are optimized to their given specifications.