Repetition-rate dependence of gain compression in InGaAsP optical amplifiers using picosecond optical pulses

Journal Article · Fri Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1989 · IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Journal of Quantum Electronics; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/3.40649· OSTI ID:7248172

Hansen, P B ^[1]; Wiesenfeld, J M; Tucker, R S; Raybon, G ^[2]; Eisenstein, G ^[3]

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1. Electromagnetics Institute, Technical Univ. of Denmark, DK-2800, Lyngby (DK)
2. AT T Bell Labs., Crawford Hill Lab., Holmdel, NJ (US)
3. Electrical Engineering Dept., Technion Haifa (IL)

A two-level model of a semiconductor optical amplifier is used to calculate gain compression due to picosecond optical pulse injection. Gain compression (measured in decibels) is shown to depend linearly on output pulse energy, with a slope that is characterized by a saturation energy. At repetition rates such that the pulse period is comparable to the amplifier gain recovery time, the saturation energy is repetition-rate dependent. At low repetition rates, the saturation energy is a function only of device parameters. In the limit of very high repetition rate, gain compression is determined by the average power, rather than the pulse energy, and is characterized by a saturation power which is equal to the low-frequency saturation energy divided by the amplifier gain recovery time. The authors present measurements of gain compression in the three regimes of repetition rates. In all cases, the measurements confirm the gain compression characteristics predicted by the model. They describe the implications of the repetition-rate-dependent gain compression on the optimum choice of amplifier and its operating conditions. They show that a short gain recovery time results in an increased output power for a given acceptable level of gain compression, as well as an increased gain level for a given output power.

• OSTI ID: 7248172
• Journal Information: IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Journal of Quantum Electronics; (USA), Journal Name: IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Journal of Quantum Electronics; (USA) Vol. 25:12; ISSN 0018-9197; ISSN IEJQA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
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42 ENGINEERING
426002* -- Engineering-- Lasers & Masers-- (1990-)
AMPLIFICATION
AMPLIFIERS
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EMISSION
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
EQUIPMENT
GAIN
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
GALLIUM PHOSPHIDES
INDIUM ARSENIDES
INDIUM COMPOUNDS
INDIUM PHOSPHIDES
LASER MATERIALS
LASERS
MATERIALS
OPTICAL SYSTEMS
PHOSPHIDES
PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
PNICTIDES
PULSE AMPLIFIERS
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SEMICONDUCTOR LASERS
SOLID STATE LASERS
STIMULATED EMISSION