1 Tb/s high quality factor NAND gate using quantum-dot semiconductor optical amplifiers in Mach-Zehnder interferometer

The performance of all-optical logic NAND gate realized by employing quantum-dot semiconductor optical amplifiers (QD-SOAs)-based Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZI) is numerically simulated. Boolean NAND operation is achieved by a series combination of properly configured and driven QD-SOAs-MZIs. The theoretical study is carried out by taking into account the effect of amplified spontaneous emission. The dependence of the output Q -factor on data signals and QD-SOA parameters is investigated and discussed. The obtained results indicate that the NAND gate is capable of operating at 1 Tb/s with high output quality factor (Q -factor) provided that these parameters are properly optimized.