All-optical format conversion from non-return-to-zero to return-to-zero based on dual-pump four-wave mixing in photonic crystal fiber

Abstract

A novel all-optical format conversion scheme based on dual-pump four-wave-mixing (DP-FWM) in dispersion-flattened highly nonlinear photonic crystal fiber (DF-HNL-PCF) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The original non-return-to-zero (NRZ) format is converted into double return-to-zero (RZ) format by injecting NRZ signal and double synchronized clock signals into the DF-HNL-PCF. The DP-FWM effect generates two sideband components, which carry the same data information as the original NRZ signal with RZ format. The wavelength tunability and dynamic range of format converter are investigated. The optimum extinct ratio and Q factor of converted signals are 15 dB and 5.4, respectively. The advantages of this scheme are that the each wavelength of double channel multicasting signals is dependent and flexible. Moreover, the system is transparent to bit rate as well as modulation format, and achieves all-optical wavelength conversion and wavelength multicasting.