Spectrum-sliced broadband source intensity noise reduction using semiconductor optical amplifier non-linear gain compression

David Forsyth, Ivan Evans, Michael Connelly

Research output: Contribution to journalConference articlepeer-review

Abstract

Conventional wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) fiber optic communication systems employ semiconductor lasers operating at discrete wavelengths as carriers for the different data channels. Spectrum-slicing provides an attractive low-cost alternative by utilising spectral slices from a single broadband source, which are then fed to intensity modulators to encode data onto these slices. Such WDM spectrum-sliced systems have the potential for use in local area network fiber communication systems. A key drawback of spectrum sliced systems is the inherently high degree of excess intensity noise, which can impose severe limits on achievable system performance. In this paper we utilise the non-linear gain compression of a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) to suppress intensity noise of a spectrum sliced signal from a broadband source. The effects of SOA input power and bias are investigated and system experiments are carried out at 2.5 Gb/s.

Original languageEnglish
Article number71
Pages (from-to)448-454
Number of pages7
JournalProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume5825
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2005
EventOpto-Ireland 2005: Optoelectronics, Photonic Devices, and Optical Networks - Dublin, Ireland
Duration: 4 Apr 20056 Apr 2005

Keywords

  • Intensity noise
  • Spectrum-slicing
  • Wavelength-division multiplexing

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Spectrum-sliced broadband source intensity noise reduction using semiconductor optical amplifier non-linear gain compression'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this