Optical Amplifiers

Chapter 10

Optical Amplifiers
As signal propagates through fiber channel, it gets attenuated due
to absorption, scattering, etc. and gets broadened due to dispersion.
Regenerators regenerate by converting O-E, re-time, re-shape
and E-O conversion.
Optical Amplifiers: amplifies in optical domain without O-E or E-O.
E.g. SOA, EDFA, Raman Amplifier
Advantages of Optical Amplifiers:
1. Insensitive to data rate
2. Large gain bandwidths
Disadvantages:
1. Do not regenerate,
2. amplifies noise,
3. no dispersion compensation

Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers (SOA)

Semiconductor optical amplifiers are similar in construction
to semiconductor lasers.
The main difference is that SOAs are
made with layers of antireflection coatings
to prevent light from reflecting back into
the circuit.
They consist of a gain (active) section and a passive section constructed of a
semiconductor material such as indium phosphide.
Optical gain occurs as excited electrons in the semiconductor
material are stimulated by incoming light signals; when current is
applied across the p-n junction the process causes the photons to
replicate, producing signal gain.

SOA operation
The DC current applied to the device results in electrons being pumped into
the (normally empty) conduction band and removed from the (normally full)
valence band. This creates the population inversion which is a pre-cursor to
optical gain. When signal photons travel through the device they cause
stimulated emission to occur when an electron and hole recombine.

By adjusting the chemical composition of III-V semiconductors (typically

GaInAsP) the band gap can be adjusted to give optical gain in the
telecommunications windows of interest.
The devices are typically 250mm long although devices of up to
1mm have been made. In general the longer devices can
achieve higher gain and wider bandwidths.
The optical bandwidth of a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) can
be as large as 100 nm and the fact that the energy source is a DC
electrical current makes these devices look promising as optical
amplifiers.
A major advantage of SOAs is that they can be integrated with other
components on a single planar substrate. For example, a WDM
transmitter device may be constructed including perhaps 10 lasers
and a coupler all on the same substrate. In this case an SOA could be
integrated into the output to overcome some of the coupling losses.

SOA: Semiconductor Optical Amplifier

The configuration of a SOA uses the familiar Double-Hetero (DH) Structure.
Requirements are different than ILD.
1.
2.
3.
4.

Band-gap of active layer < surrounding layers

RI of active layer > surrounding layers
Efficient coupling of signal photons
Optical feedback to be suppressed (AR coatings)

Optical Gain
The optical power P propagating through amplifiers is described as

dP
= gP eff P
dz
where, g is gain coefficient and eff is effective loss coefficient.

If
1. N is carrier concentration per unit volume,
2. Ntr is carrier conc. at transparency (when gain is unity),
3. g is the gain cross-section (differential gain coefficient dg/dN)
4. is the confinement factor,
the gain coefficient is written as,

g = g ( N N tr )
The carrier population rate change with injection current I and signal power P.

dN
I
N gP
=

dt eV c hA
Total number of carriers
per unit volume

Under-steady state, dN/dt = 0,

Carrier loss due to

stimulated emission

Carrier loss per unit volume

due to non-radiative processes
c- carrier life time

I c gP c
N=

eV hA

Hence, The Gain Coefficient,

g c N tr
ev

g=
P
1+
hA

g c

If P is so small that may be neglected,

Psat =

&,

h A
g c

I c

g 0 = g
N tr
ev

Then,

&,

g=

g0

P
1 +
Psat

dP
g0
=
dz
P
1 +
Psat

Substituting value of g,

Neglecting eff, & integrating,

Pout

Pin

Pout

or,

Pin

or,

or,

P eff P

dP

P
P

1
+

Psat

dP 1
+
P Psat

g dz
0

z =0

Pout

dP = g dz
0

Pin

z =0

1
[ln Pout ln Pin ] + [Pout Pin ] = g 0 L
Psat
Pout
Pout Pin

ln
=
g
L

Pin
Psat

Thus, The amplifier Gain, G is

If,

Pout >> Pin

&,

G=

Pout
=e
Pin

Pout Pin
g 0 L
Psat

G0 = e g 0 L

Then a good approximation is,

Pout
ln G = ln G0
Psat

The 3-dB saturation power, at which amplifier gain drops to G0/2

(Psat )3dB
G0
ln
= ln G0
2
Psat
or,

(Psat )3dB = ln(2) Psat = ln(2) hA

g c

Effect of optical reflections

Relative Gain, dB

G
TWA
FPA

nm
TWA Travelling Wave Amplifier
FPA - Fabry-Perot Amplifier

Effect of optical reflections

Travelling Wave
Semiconductor Laser
Amplifier (SLA)

Mirror

Fabry-Perot
Semiconductor
Laser Amplifier
(SLA)

Angled-facet
or
tilted-stripe the
reflected beam at
the
facet
is
physically
separated from the
forward beam
Buried-facet
or
window facet the
optical
beam
spreads
in
the
transparent
window

Effect of optical reflections

(
Pout
1 R1 )(1 R2 )Gs
G=
=
2
Pin
1 Gs R1 R2 + 4Gs R1 R2 sin 2 ( )

where, G is measured gain, Gs is single pass gain,

& phase shift the wave goes on traversing length L.

2n( 0 ) L
=
c
where, n is RI of Active region material, is incident signal frequency,
0 is frequency of resonant mode.
3 dB spectral Bandwidth,

1 Gs R1 R2
c
1
sin
= 2( 0 ) =
1/ 2
2nL
(4Gs R1 R2 )

Peak trough ratio of passband ripple,

1 + Gs R1 R2
G =

1 Gs R1 R2

Limitations of SOA:
The carrier lifetime is of order of 0.1 ns, hence gain recovery time
is short w.r.t to GHz data rate
Therefore, different levels of signal intensity will experience different gains,
leading to signal distortion.
This becomes significant when SOA is operating near saturation.
This sets an upper limit on maximum amplifier output power.
Semiconductor Layers are sensitive to polarization.
Non-linearities leads to inter-channel cross talk.

What is EDFA

An optical fiber heavily doped with Er3+ at core that serves as

an optical amplifier.
EDFA Stands for Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifier
Used to boost the intensity of optical signals being carried
through a fiber optic communications system
Works on the concept of stimulated emission
Operates near 1550 nm
Other Rare-earth elements:
1. Holmium (Ho),
2. Neodymium (Nd)
3. Samarium (Sm)
4. Ytterbium (Yb)

Why Erbium?

Erbium has several important properties that make it an

excellent choice for an optical amplifier
Erbium ions (Er3+) have quantum levels that allows them to be
stimulated to emit in the 1540nm band, which is the band that
has the least power loss in most silica-based fiber.
Erbium's quantum levels also allow it to be excited by a signal
at either 980nm or 1480nm, both of which silica-based fiber
can carry without great losses

How it works

Energy band of Erbium

Basic block diagram of EDFA

EDFA Configuration

Co-propogating (Forward) Pump EDFA

Counterpropogating (Backward) Pump EDFA

EDFA Configuration

Forward pump= lower noise but lower output power

Backward pump = higher output power but higher noise

Amplification between 1.53 and 1.56 um.

Advantages

Insensitivity to light polarization state

High gain
Low noise figure: 4.5 dB to 6dB
No distortion at high bit rates
amplification of wavelength division multiplexed
Simultaneous
signals
to cross talk among wavelength multiplexed
Immunity
channels
Do not require high speed electronics

Independent of bit rate (Bit rate transparency)

Commercially available in C-band & L-band.

Drawbacks

Pump laser necessary

Need to use a gain equalizer for multistage amplification
Difficult to integrate with other components
Dropping channels can give rise to errors in surviving channels

EDFA: Mature technology

1. New materials (Fluoride, Tellurite)
2. New dopant (Pr, Tm) ~PDFA, TDFA to exhibit
broader and flatter gain

Band Name Wavelengths

Description

O-band

1260 1360 nm Original band, PON upstream

E-band

1360 1460 nm Water peak band

S-band

1460 1530 nm PON downstream

C-band
L-band
U-band

Lowest attenuation, original DWDM

1530 1565 nm band, compatible with fiber amplifiers,
CATV
Low attenuation, expanded DWDM
1565 1625 nm
band
1625 1675 nm Ultra-long wavelength

Rare earth-Doped Fiber Amplifiers

Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifiers (EDFA)
Thulium-Doped Fiber Amplifiers (TDFA)
Praseodymium-Doped Fiber Amplifiers (PDFA)

: C, L-Band
: S-Band
: O-Band

1440 1460 1480 1500 1520 1540 1560 1580 1600 1620 1640 1660 nm
EDFA ~47 nm
EDFA 52 nm
Fluoride EDFA 62 nm
Tellurite EDFA 76 nm]
TDFA 37 nm
TDFA 35 nm
Raman + Fluoride EDFA 80 nm
Dist. Raman + Fluoride EDFA 83 nm
Raman + TDFA 53 nm
Raman 18 nm
Raman 40 nm
Raman 100 nm
Raman 132 nm

1440 1460 1480 1500 1520 1540 1560 1580 1600 1620 1640 1660 nm
E-Band

S-Band

C-Band

L-Band

U-Band

Traditional Optical
Communication System
Loss compensation: Repeaters at every 20-50 km

Optically Amplified Systems

EDFA = Erbium Doped Fibre Amplifier

Typical Packaged EDFA

Interior of an Erbium Doped Fibre Amplfier (EDFA)

WDM Fibre coupler

Pump laser

Erbium
doped fibre
loop

Fibre
input/output
Source: Master 7_5

Miniature Optical Fibre Amp

Erbium doped aluminium
oxide spiral waveguide

1 mm square waveguide

Pumped at 1480 nm

Low pump power of 10 mW

Gain only 2.3 dB at present

20 dB gain possible

FOM Institute Amsterdam and

University of Holland at Delft

Raman
Amplification

Source: Master 7_5

Raman Amplifiers

Raman Fibre Amplifiers (RFAs) rely on an intrinsic nonlinearity in silica fibre

Variable wavelength amplification:



Depends on pump wavelength

For example pumping at 1500 nm produces gain at about 1560-1570
nm

RFAs can be used as a standalone amplifier or as a

distributed amplifier in conjunction with an EDFA

Source: Master 7_5

Raman Effect Amplifiers

Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS) causes a new signal (a Stokes
wave) to be generated in the same direction as the pump wave downshifted in frequency by 13.2 THz (due to molecular vibrations) provided
that the pump signal is of sufficient strength.
In addition SRS causes the amplification of a signal if it's lower in
frequency than the pump. Optimal amplification occurs when the
difference in wavelengths is around 13.2 THz.
The signal to be amplified must be lower in frequency (longer in
wavelength) than the pump.
It is easy to build a Raman amplifier, but there is a big problem:
we just can't build very high power (around half a watt or more) pump
lasers at any wavelength we desire! Laser wavelengths are very
specific and high power lasers are quite hard to build.

Distributed Raman Amplification (I)

Raman pumping takes place backwards over the fibre

Gain is a maximum close to the receiver and decreases in the
transmitter direction

Long Fibre Span

Transmitter

EDFA

Optical
Receiver

Raman
Pump
Laser

Source: Master 7_5

Distributed Raman Amplification (II)

With only an EDFA at the transmit end the optical power level decreases
over the fibre length

Optical Power

With an EDFA and Raman the minimum optical power level occurs toward
the middle, not the end, of the fibre.
EDFA
+
Raman

EDFA
only

Distance

Source: Master 7_5

Animation

Broadband Amplification using Raman

Amplifiers

Raman amplification can provides very broadband
amplification

Multiple high-power "pump" lasers are used to produce
very high gain over a range of wavelengths.

93 nm bandwidth has been demonstrated with just two
pumps sources

400 nm bandwidth possible?

Source: Master 7_5

Advantages and Disadvantages of Raman

Amplification

Advantages


Variable wavelength amplification possible

Compatible with installed SM fibre

Can be used to "extend" EDFAs

Can result in a lower average power over a span, good for lower crosstalk

Very broadband operation may be possible

Disadvantages


High pump power requirements, high pump power lasers have only recently
arrived

Sophisticated gain control needed

Noise is also an issue

Source: Master 7_5

The Need of Optical Amplification

Why? Extend distance light signal can travel
without regeneration
Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifiers (EDFAs) application in long haul. Todays
amplifier of choice.
Erbium-Doped Waveguide Amplifiers (EDWAs) application in metro and
access networks
Raman Amplifiers application in DWDM
Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers (SOA) not fiber based type, application in
metro and access networks

Amplifier

Pump Lasers

Standard Fiber

General Application of Optical

Amplification
In-line amplifier
Preamplifier
Power (booster) amplifier
LAN booster amplifier
Amplifier

Pump Lasers

Standard Fiber

Optical Amplifier Applications

Fibre Link

In-line
Amplifier

Optical
Receiver

Transmitter

Optical Amplifiers
Fibre Link

Power
Amplifier

Optical
Receiver

Transmitter
Optical Amplifier

Preamplifier

Optical
Receiver

Transmitter
Fibre Link
Optical Amplifier

Source: Master 7_5

Amplifier Operation
Points
40

Booster
amplifier

35
30

60 mW
45 mW
30 mW

preamplifier

25

in-line
amplifier

20
15
10
-10

-5

Output power[dBm]

10

15