IEEE Photonics Technology Letters · 1996 · 45 citations · 6 references
EngineeringElectrical EngineeringPhysicsOpticsOptoelectronicsPhotonicsFiber OpticsFiber-optic CommunicationOptical AmplifiersOptical Communication SystemsOptical FibersRare-earth-doped MaterialsErbium-doped Fiber AmplifiersGain FlatteningIsolator DesignNoise FigureOptical Amplifier DesignRare-earth-doped AmplifiersWavelength MultiplexingWavelength-division Multiplexing
We propose a novel low noise and gain-flattened Er/sup 3+/-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) with a cascade configuration for wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) signals. In this configuration, a 1480-nm pumped fluoride-based EDFA is joined to a 980-nm pumped silica-based EDFA through an optical isolator. By adjusting the silica-based Er/sup 3+/-doped fiber length in the silica-based EDFA, we realized an excellent flat gain EDFA with a gain excursion of less than 0.9 dB and noise figure of 5.7/spl plusmn/0.2 dB, and a low noise EDFA with a noise figure of 5/spl plusmn/0.2 dB and a gain excursion of less than 1.4 dB, for 8 channel WDM signal in the 1532-1560-nm wavelength region.
6