Optical wavelength converter with active waveguide

Abstract

An optical wavelength converter, including first and second semiconductor optical amplifiers, in which an input optical pulse signal having a first wavelength &lgr; and a non-modulated optical signal having a second wavelength &lgr; are made incident upon the first semiconductor optical amplifier. Propagation constants of the first and second semiconductor optical amplifiers are determined such that a propagation constant difference &Dgr;&bgr; between the first and the second semiconductor optical amplifiers when only the optical signal having the second wavelength &lgr; propagates along the first semiconductor optical amplifier is smaller than a propagation constant difference &Dgr;&bgr; when both the input optical pulse signal and non-modulated optical signal propagate along the first semiconductor optical amplifier. During a lower power level of the input optical pulse signal, an amplified optical output signal having the second wavelength &lgr; emanates from the second semiconductor optical amplifier due to the optical coupling, but during a higher power level of the input optical pulse signal, the optical coupling between the first and second waveguides is substantially released and no optical signal is emitted from the second semiconductor optical amplifier.