| Bibliographic Citation | |
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| DOI | 10.2172/792781 |
| Title | A Low-Noise Semiconductor Optical Amplifier |
| Creator/Author | Ratowsky, R.P. ; Dijaili, S. ; Kallman, J.S. ; Feit, M.D. ; Walker, J. |
| Publication Date | 1999 Mar 23 |
| OSTI Identifier | OSTI ID: 792781 |
| Report Number(s) | UCRL-ID-133538 |
| DOE Contract Number | W-7405-Eng-48 |
| DOI | 10.2172/792781 |
| Other Number(s) | TRN: US200302%%217 |
| Resource Type | Technical Report |
| Resource Relation | Other Information: PBD: 23 Mar 1999 |
| Coverage | Topical |
| Research Org | Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (US) |
| Sponsoring Org | USDOE Office of Defense Programs (DP) (US) |
| Subject | 42 ENGINEERING; AMPLIFIERS; COMMUNICATIONS; COMPUTERS; DESIGN; DIFFRACTION; FIBER OPTICS; FIBERS; OPTICAL SYSTEMS; PERFORMANCE; QUENCHING |
| Description/Abstract | Optical amplifiers are essential devices for optical networks, optical systems, and computer communications. These amplifiers compensate for the inevitable optical loss in long-distance propagation (>50 km) or splitting (>10x). Fiber amplifiers such as the erbium-doped fiber amplifier have revolutionized the fiber-optics industry and are enjoying widespread use. Semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) are an alternative technology that complements the fiber amplifiers in cost and performance. One obstacle to the widespread use of SOAs is the severity of the inevitable noise output resulting from amplified spontaneous emission (ASE). Spectral filtering is often used to reduce ASE noise, but this constrains the source spectrally, and improvement is typically limited to about 10 dB. The extra components also add cost and complexity to the final assembly. The goal of this project was to analyze, design, and take significant steps toward the realization of an innovative, low-noise SOA based on the concept of ''distributed spatial filtering'' (DSF). In DSF, we alternate active SOA segments with passive free-space diffraction regions. Since spontaneous emission radiates equally in all directions, the free-space region lengthens the amplifier for a given length of gain region, narrowing the solid angle into which the spontaneous emission is amplified [1,2]. Our innovation is to use spatial filtering in a differential manner across many segments, thereby enhancing the effect when wave-optical effects are included [3]. The structure quickly and effectively strips the ASE into the higher-order modes, quenching the ASE gain relative to the signal. |
| Country of Publication | United States |
| Language | English |
| Format | Medium: ED; Size: 671 Kilobytes pages |
| System Entry Date | 2008 Feb 05 |
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