5.

Q3
10mW
Attenuation

Pin(dBm)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40

0
-5
-10
-15
-20
-25
-30
-35
-40

Pout(dBm)
6.46E+00
5.42E+00
4.59E+00
3.49E+00
1.61E+00
-1.40E+00
-5.41E+00
-1.00E+01
-1.49E+01

Gain(dB)
6.66E+00
1.06E+01
1.48E+01
1.87E+01
2.18E+01
2.38E+01
2.48E+01
2.52E+01
2.53E+01

NF (dB)
6.01E+00
4.62E+00
3.91E+00
3.68E+00
3.72E+00
3.83E+00
3.90E+00
3.93E+00
3.94E+00

Gain & NF(dB) VS. Pin (dBm) - 10mW

30
25
20
dB

15
10
5
0

-50

-40

20mW
attenuation
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40

-30
-20
Pin (dBm)

Pin(dBm)
0
-5
-10
-15
-20
-25
-30
-35
-40

Pout(dBm)
1.01E+01
9.55E+00
9.06E+00
8.19E+00
6.43E+00
3.43E+00
-6.32E-01
-5.29E+00
-1.02E+01

Gain(dB)
1.03E+01
1.47E+01
1.93E+01
2.34E+01
2.66E+01
2.86E+01
2.96E+01
2.99E+01
3.00E+01

-10

NF (dB)
4.80E+00
3.86E+00
3.50E+00
3.48E+00
3.66E+00
3.86E+00
3.97E+00
4.02E+00
4.03E+00

Gain
NF

Gain & NF(dB) VS. Pin (dBm) - 20mW

35
30
25
dB

20
15

Gain

10

NF

5
0
-40

-30

40mW
attenuation

-20
Pin (dBm)

Pin(dBm)

0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40

0
-5
-10
-15
-20
-25
-30
-35
-40

Pout(dBm)
1.34E+01
1.31E+01
1.27E+01
1.18E+01
9.92E+00
6.73E+00
2.50E+00
-2.22E+00
-7.13E+00

-10

Gain(dB)
1.36E+01
1.83E+01
2.29E+01
2.70E+01
3.01E+01
3.19E+01
3.27E+01
3.30E+01
3.31E+01

NF (dB)
4.03E+00
3.47E+00
3.32E+00
3.41E+00
3.66E+00
3.89E+00
4.00E+00
4.05E+00
4.06E+00

Gain & NF(dB) VS. Pin (dBm) - 40mW

35
30
25
dB

20
15
10

Gain
NF

5
0
-50

-40

-30
-20
Pin (dBm)

-10

As input power magnitude is increased on the EDFA for a given pump level the total gain of the
amplifier remains constant until saturation eventually occurs. The fiber gain starts to decrease
after a certain distance (various attenuation 0db-40db to simulate increasing optical cable
length) because the pump does not have enough energy to create a complete population
inversion (since there are not enough excited carriers to provide an appropriate level of
stimulated emission). An erbium amplifier at saturation simply applies less gain to all of its input
regardless of the instantaneous signal level. From the NF plot, we can see there is constant
relatively little noise figure when system is not in saturation, therefore extremely high
population inversion (or gain) can be achieved.