Low Noise Optical Amplifiers
Abstract
Optical amplifiers have been a topic of research over several decades. Throughout the early nineties research was focused on erbium doped fiber amplifiers, a technology which reached commercialization in the mid nineties and enabled the revolution within optical communication leading to long haul all optical communication links. Indirectly the erbium doped fiber amplifiers also enabled the progress that we witnessed within Raman amplifiers in the late nineties due to the development of suitable high power pump lasers enabled by rare earth doped fibers. Lately, research within optical amplifiers has been directed toward parametric optical amplifiers encouraged by a potential large gain bandwidth and low noise properties of these amplifiers. Currently erbium doped fiber amplifiers is the most mature optical amplifier technology and the safe choice, offering high gain and good noise properties from signal wavelengths from 1530 nm to 1610 nm. Raman amplifiers have proven superior noise properties when used as distributed amplifiers, compared to erbium doped fiber amplifiers. In addition Raman amplifiers, discrete as well as distributed offer wide bandwidth of operation since multiple pump lasers at different wavelengths may be combined to broaden the gain bandwidth. Finally, and maybe most important, the operation wavelength is solely determined by the wavelength of the pump laser, and Raman amplifiers from 1300 nm to 1610 nm have been demonstrated. Recent research has suggested parametric amplifiers as a promising alternative to erbium doped fiber amplifiers and Raman amplifiers offering low noise properties, wide bandwidth of operation and in addition wavelength conversion. Raman assisted parametric amplifiers have also been suggested.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA524638
Entities
People
- Karsten Rottwitt
Organizations
- Technical University of Denmark