The Principal Types of Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers Applications
There has been significant growth in optical fiber communication networks' deployment and capability in the past twenty-five years. The development of modern optoelectronic technologies that can be used to take advantage of the enormous optical fiber bandwidth has made this growth possible.
In this piece, we have reviewed the three primary
areas where SOAs are used. Let us understand it in brief.
Types of Semiconductor Optical Amplifier Applications
The key applications of SOAs in optical
communication systems can be categorized into three areas:
1. As a Booster Amplifier
2. As a Pre Amplifier
3. As an In-line Amplifier
Now let us understand each of these amplifiers and
its role in brief.
1. Booster Amplifiers
A post-amplifier or booster amplifier is used to
increase the laser power of the transmitter.
In an optical transmitter, boosting laser power
allows creating medium-haul connections with an increased transmission
wavelength.
These links are actually made up of optical fiber
between the transmitter and the receiver. Since this involves no active
components in the transmission link, it improves reliability and performance.
2. Preamplifier
A preamplifier is used to enhance the sensitivity of
the receiver. The rise in power level will improve the sensitivity of the
receiver. This enables the creation of longer, unrepeated links. The
preamplifier circuit receiver consists of an optical preamplifier, a photodiode
accompanied by post-detection circuitry and a decision circuit, and a
narrowband optical filter.
3. In-line Amplifier
An in-line amplifier is used to overcome the need
for optical regeneration to compensate for medium- and long-haul transmission
losses.
The key benefits of in-line SOAs are data rate
clarity and modulation format, bidirectionality, WDM capability, easy operation
mode, low power consumption, and SOA injection.
The introduction of optical amplifiers into optical
communication connections will increase the device's efficiency and reduce
costs.
These are the three principal areas where SOAs are
used. The next section describes the nonlinearities of the Semiconductor
optical amplifier– a basis of many SOA applications.
The Future of Semiconductor Optical Amplifier
As it is such a highly flexible component that can
be used for different amplification and routing functions in
telecommunications, the Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (SOA) is still the subject
of much current research.
Commercialized SOAs are now widely available for
advanced optical systems for central, metro, and possibly all types of access
applications and are rapidly becoming a cost-effective optical amplification
solution.
The capabilities of SOA include nearly unlimited
bandwidth for carrying communication services of almost any kind and complete an openness that enables capacity upgrades to the terminal and versatile channel
routing. The optical amplifier has made many of the developments possible in
optical networks.
Therefore, SOAs will continue to create new interest
in all-optical communication systems for a wide range of applications in the
future and may well become the device of choice for use.
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