International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS)
A Low Cost, Multi-Wavelength Optical Source Enabling Independent WDM Channels Using a Single SOA and ASE Inputs
Published April 23, 2026 • Vol. 11, Issue 3, pp. 1521–1532Open Access
DOI: 10.51584/IJRIAS.2026.11030117
Abstract
A multi-channel wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) transmission system using non-degenerate four-wave mixing (FWM) in a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) with spectrum-sliced ASE inputs from a single LED high powered incoherent source is presented. Three incoherent ASE inputs generate twelve SOA output channels, nine of which are FWM generated, and all are modulated at 10 Gb/s after the FWM process to avoid phase-noise limitations. SOA input power saturation characteristics were investigated and eye diagram analysis confirms high-quality transmission for each FWM channel, with an average achievable link length of 63.9 km, proving the validity of the scheme. By decoupling carrier generation from data encoding, this post-FWM architecture enables clean performance despite incoherent seeds, offering a low-cost, scalable solution for WDM in access and metro networks and wavelength conversion if required.
Keywords: Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (SOA), Four-Wave Mixing (FWM), ASE, Spectrum Slicing, WDM, OptiSystem, Optical Communications
| Journal | International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS) |
|---|---|
| ISSN | 2454-6194 |
| Volume / Issue | Volume 11, Issue 3 |
| Pages | 1521–1532 |
| Publication date | April 23, 2026 |
| DOI | 10.51584/IJRIAS.2026.11030117 |
| Publisher | RSIS International |
| License | Open Access |
How to cite this article
David I. Forsyth, & A.J Abdullah Al-Gburi (2026). A Low Cost, Multi-Wavelength Optical Source Enabling Independent WDM Channels Using a Single SOA and ASE Inputs. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS), 11(3), 1521-1532. https://doi.org/10.51584/IJRIAS.2026.11030117
BibTeX
@article{David2026,
title = {A Low Cost, Multi-Wavelength Optical Source Enabling Independent WDM Channels Using a Single SOA and ASE Inputs},
author = {David I. Forsyth and A.J Abdullah Al-Gburi},
journal = {International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS)},
volume = {11},
number = {3},
pages = {1521--1532},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.51584/IJRIAS.2026.11030117},
publisher = {RSIS International}
}