Multi-wavelength 128 Gbit s−1λ−1 PAM4 optical transmission enabled by a 100 GHz quantum dot mode-locked optical frequency comb. (7th April 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pan, Shujie; Zhang, Hongguang; Liu, Zizhuo; Liao, Mengya; Tang, Mingchu; Wu, Dingyi; Hu, Xiao; Yan, Jie; Wang, Lei; Guo, Mingchen; Wang, Zihao; Wang, Ting; Smowton, Peter M; Seeds, Alwyn; Liu, Huiyun; Xiao, Xi; Chen, Siming
• Is Part Of: Journal of physics. Volume 55:Number 14(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-04-07
• Subjects: quantum-dot -- mode-locked laser -- optical frequency combs; Physics -- Periodicals; 530
• DOI: 10.1088/1361-6463/ac4365
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-3727

Abstract

Abstract: Semiconductor mode-locked lasers (MLLs) with extremely high repetition rates are promising optical frequency comb (OFC) sources for their usage as compact, high-efficiency, and low-cost light sources in high-speed dense wavelength-division multiplexing transmissions. The fully exploited conventional C- and L- bands require the research on O-band to fulfil the transmission capacity of the current photonic networks. In this work, we present a passive two-section InAs/InGaAs quantum-dot (QD) MLL-based OFC with a fundamental repetition rate of ∼100 GHz operating at O-band wavelength range. The specially designed device favours the generation of nearly Fourier-transform-limited pulses in the entire test range by only pumping the gain section while with the absorber unbiased. The typical integrated relative intensity noise of the whole spectrum and a single tone are −152 and −137 dB Hz −1 in the range of 100 MHz–10 GHz, respectively. Back-to-back data transmissions for seven selected tones have been realised by employing a 64 Gbaud four-level pulse amplitude modulation format. The demonstrated performance shows the feasibility of the InAs QD MLLs as a simple structure, easy operation, and low power consumption OFC sources for high-speed fibre-optic communications.