10 Gbps WDM transmission performance limits using in-line SOAs and an optical phase conjugator based on four-wave mixing in SOAs as a mid-span spectral inversion technique.

We have theoretically investigated the transmission performance limits of all semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA)-based 10 Gb/s wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) systems using in-line SOAs and an optical phase conjugator (OPC) based on four-wave mixing in SOAs as a mid-span spectral inversion technique. With a verified numerical model of SOAs, we have found that the crosstalk from SOAs in OPC is a dominant factor to limit the number of channels in WDM systems. In order to increase the available number of channels, we optimize the input optical power and the injection current to SOAs in OPC with using a reservoir channel in in-line SOAs. All SOA-based 10 Gb/s WDM systems using the OPC can transmit 16 channel signals up to 240 km distance with a 3 dB power penalty.