Wavelength Multicasting via Frequency Comb Generation in a Bandwidth-Enhanced Fiber Optical Parametric Mixer

Abstract

We demonstrate a self-seeded multicasting device capable of delivering a large number of signal integrity preserving spectrally-distinct copies. The new multicasting device relies on efficient higher-order mixing in a two-pump parametric mixer. Precise dispersion engineering was deployed to generate a frequency-comb spanning over a 140-nm band, and resulted in the creation of more than 60 spectral copies of the signal with conversion efficiencies higher than -3 dB. The fidelity of the multicasting device with respect to signal intensity and phase was characterized experimentally. The spectral replication process was found to induce low penalty with both ON-OFF and differential phase-shift keying signals, thereby indicating compatibility with arbitrary amplitude/phase signaling formats.