Symmetric highly efficient (/spl sim/0 dB) wavelength conversion based on four-wave mixing in quantum dot optical amplifiers

Abstract

Conversion efficiency to longer wavelengths in four-wave-mixing-based wavelength conversion in optical semiconductor amplifiers is generally much lower than that in the opposite direction. This study demonstrates experimentally that this feature is drastically improved, and the asymmetry between conversion directions is eliminated by using quantum dots in the active layer. We attribute this to a reduction in linewidth enhancement factor due to the discreteness of the electron states in quantum dots.