Modeling and characterization of a Semiconductor Optical Amplifier

KAMAL
HUSSAIN

RAHUL
MUNSHI

P K DATTA

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, KHARAGPUR

 What is a SOA ?
• SOA is an optoelectronic device that amplifies an input light signal using the energy of the
current injected into the active region.
• Two main types of SOAs are

The Fabry-Perot SOA and The travelling wave SOA

• The SOA output is accompanied by noise in the form of amplified spontaneous emission
(ASE) and ripples due to reflection from the facets.
• Quantum well (Single quantum well, GRIN single quantum well, Multiple quantum well,
Modified multiple quantum well) SOAs have superior gain bandwidths and are less
polarization dependant.
• SOA gain dynamics are determined by carrier recombination lifetime (of the order of a few
hundred picoseconds) and the gain saturation may cause the output bandwidth to be
severely affected.

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, KHARAGPUR

• Gain saturation occurs as the carriers in the active regions get depleted leading to
decrease in amplifier gain.

3dB

Gain(dB)
P o,sat

Output signal power(dBm)

• Nonlinearities in SOAs are primarily due to carrier density changes and can be responsible
for effects like frequency chirping and higher order intermodulation products. Four main
types of SOA nonlinearities are: Cross Gain Modulation (XGM), Cross Phase Modulation
(XPM), Self Phase Modulation (SPM), Four Wave Mixing(FWM).

• The most simple SOA structures are Double layered Semiconductor Heterostructures.
Modern enhancements include Angled facet structure, Window facet structure, Ridge
waveguide structure for high saturation output power, strained-layer super lattices to
handle polarization sensitivity, Gain-clamped strucures to reduce crosstalk in multichannel
applications.

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, KHARAGPUR

 Applications
• Main advantages are transparency to data rate and modulation format, bi-directionality,
WDM capability, simple mode of operation, low power consumption and compactness.
• Used as Booster amplifier, Pre amplifier, In-line amplifiers and amplifier cascade.
• Using four-wave-mixing (FWM) technique, cross-phase and cross-gain modulation
mechanisms SOA can be used in wavelength converters which play an important role in
broadband all-optical networks.
• SOAs can be used to construct high speed optical switches for future WDM and TDM
optical communication systems.
• SOAs can be configured to realize all-optical logic gates.

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, KHARAGPUR

• Mode-locked fiber ring laser incorporating an SOA is used to generate high repetition-rate
wavelength tunable pulses, at high frequencies which are required in high-speed OTDM.
• SOA based MZI switches are required in ADMs required by optical time division
multiplexed optical network nodes.

Dc bias 40 Ghz pulse train

30 % 70 %

Fabry-Perot
filter
SOA
Bias Tee

Fabry-Perot laser High dispersion fiber Polarization controller Isolator

10Ghz gain-switched pulses

Optical pulse generation using a mode-locked fiber ring laser incorporating an SOA

• Due to its compactness and cost effectiveness SOAs find wide applications in Photonic
Integrated Circuits (PIC) and in remote optical components.
• They can be used for format conversion of input signal such as DPSK to NRZ.

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, KHARAGPUR

 Comparison Chart
Features SOA EDFA Raman Amplifier
Internal gain Low High High
Pump source Electrical Optical Optical
Nonlinear effects Yes Negligible Negligible
Noise figure High Low Lower
Saturation output High Low High
power
Polarization sensitivity Yes (< 2dB) No No

3dB gain bandwidth Wide range Small range Small range

To make integrated Yes No No

circuits
To make functional Yes No No
devices

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, KHARAGPUR

 Analytical Static Modeling
For our simulation involving analytical modeling we have considered the geometrical and material parameters of
the SOA obtained from Mitsubishi Electric Co. Ltd..

Symbol Parameter Value

L Length of the SOA 1800µm

w SOA active layer width 1.4µm

d SOA active layer thickness 0.32µm

β Spontaneous emission coefficient 10-4

Γ Optical confinement factor 0.439

c Group velocity 0.95×108 ms-1

λs Signal wavelength 1580 nm

a Material gain constant 3.0×10-20 m2

R1 Input facet reflectivity 10-3

R2 Output facet reflectivity 10-3

τ Carrier recombination lifetime 1ns

neff Effective active region refractive index 3.4

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, KHARAGPUR

 Injection current=39mA

Spatial variation of carrier density of a TW-SOA Gain ripple variation with input signal power

Injection current=39mA

Injection current=39mA

The variation of gain with input signal power The variation of output power with input power for
the TW SOA

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, KHARAGPUR

Low Signal power = -60dBm
Injection current=39mA

Injection current=39mA
High Signal power = -10dBm

Spatial variation of amplified spontaneous emission

Injection current=39mA
Injection current=39mA
High Signal power = -10dBm
Low Signal power = -60dBm

Spatial variation of signal photon density

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, KHARAGPUR

 Conclusion and Reference
• We have presented an analytical model of a semiconductor optical amplifier with low
facet reflectivity taking into account the non-uniform spatial gain distribution.
• We have shown the carrier density variation inside the active region of the SOA for
various input signal powers.
• The asymmetric nature of forward and backward ASE variation with high injection
currents is observed.
• The saturation effect of the gain and output power with increasing input signal power
has been shown . The maximum attainable gain of the amplifier is limited by the ASE.

REFERENCE

• P. Brosson, “Analytical model of a semiconductor optical amplifier”, J. Lightwave Technol.

12, 49-54 (1994).
• D. Marcuse, “Computer model of an injection laser amplifier”, IEEE J. Quantum. Electron.
19, 63-73 (1983)
• M. J. Connelly, “Wideband semiconductor optical amplifier steady-state numerical
model”, IEEE J. Quantum. Electron. 37, 439-447 (2001).

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, KHARAGPUR