Investigation of SOA-assisted Sagnac recirculating shift register switching characteristics

The switching characteristics of a Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (SOA)-assisted Sagnac recirculating shift register with an inverter are investigated by undertaking a numerical analysis that describes the dynamic gain response of the SOA to high speed and strong feedback optical pulses. The key performance parameters are identified and their role in the formation of the switching window is analyzed. The optimum values of these parameters are not unique and must be adapted to the specific all-optical shift register network application. For this reason, they must be properly selected and combined so as to ensure the satisfaction of the desired operating conditions. The technical restrictions that the derived values may impose on the state-of-the-art photonics technology are also discussed and efficient ways of overcoming them are proposed.