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Semiconductor Optical Amplifier

This document summarizes modeling and characterization of a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). It describes what an SOA is, the different types of SOAs, and factors that affect SOA performance like gain saturation and noise. Applications of SOAs in optical communication systems are discussed, along with a comparison of SOAs to other amplifiers. The document presents analytical modeling of an SOA, showing characteristics like spatial variation of carrier density and output power with input power.

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546 views10 pages

Semiconductor Optical Amplifier

This document summarizes modeling and characterization of a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). It describes what an SOA is, the different types of SOAs, and factors that affect SOA performance like gain saturation and noise. Applications of SOAs in optical communication systems are discussed, along with a comparison of SOAs to other amplifiers. The document presents analytical modeling of an SOA, showing characteristics like spatial variation of carrier density and output power with input power.

Uploaded by

api-26832469
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Modeling and characterization of a Semiconductor Optical Amplifier

RAHUL
MUNSHI

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

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
Internal gain Low High HighAmplifier
Pump source Electrical Optical Optical
Nonlinear effects Yes Negligible Negligible
Noise figure High Low Lower
Saturation output High Low High
power

Polarization Yes (< 2dB) No No


sensitivity
3dB gain Wide range Small range Small range
bandwidth
To make Yes No No
integrated 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 The variation of output power with input
power 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.
REFEREN
CE
• 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

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