Unit 9 Optical Amplifiers

Contents
Introduction Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (SOA) Rare Earth doped Fiber Amplifier (EDFA) Raman Amplifier

Necessity of Optical amplifiers?

To Transmit a signals over long distances (>100km), to compensate attenuation losses.

Amplification: OPTOELECTRONIC MODULE

Initially this was accomplished

with an optoelectronic module
Light to electron conversion Electrical amplification Pulse shaping Electrical to optical conversion

Limitations of Optoelectronic amplifiers

Limits the speed of the system Makes the system expensive and complex.

Optical Amplifiers
Replace the optoelectronic amplifiers OA eliminates the need of optical to electron and electron to optical conversion. OA: Directly boosts the optical signal.

Generic optical amplifier

Continuous Wave (Constant)

Energy is transferred from the pump to signal

Introduction: Optical Amplifier

OA is an essential element for High capacity, Long lifespan, Multiple connection of optical for communication network applications.

Introduction-OPTICAL AMPLIFIER
An optical amplifier is a device which amplifies the optical signal directly without ever changing it to electricity. The light itself is amplified. Reasons to use the optical amplifiers: Reliability (long life and stable operation) Flexibility (easy maintenance) Easily incorporated in Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) Low Cost Extends the system margin Lessens the effect of dispersion and attenuation Therefore gives improved performance for long haul communication.

Application of OA
To compensate for losses in Long distance point to point optical fiber links Multi-access networks

Applications of optical amplifiers

Applicaitions

Inline amplifier
Compensate the fiber attenuation Dispersion in fiber is less. Does not need complete regeneration of signal. Just amplification is needed OA compensates for transmission losses and increases the distance between regenerative repeaters

Application of OA

Preamplifier
Used in front end preamplifier for an optical receiver. Weak optical signal is amplified before photo detection. Signal to noise ratio degradation caused due to thermal noise in receiver electronics is reduced. OA provides larger gain, high sensitivity, broader bandwidth.

Application of OA

Power amplifier
Power or booster amplifier Amplifier device immediately after transmitter to boost up the transmitted power. Increases the transmission distance Power boosters allows repeater less transmission (Ex: undersea transmission distance of 200-250km0

Types of Optical Amplifier

Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (SOA) Rare Earth doped Fiber Amplifier (EDFA) Raman Amplifier

Basic Concepts
Most

optical amplifiers use stimulated emission An optical amplifier is basically a laser without feedback

Basic Concepts
Optical

gain is realized when the amplifier is pumped optically (or electrically) to achieve population inversion depends on wavelength, internal light intensity and amplifier medium

Gain

Semiconductor Optical Amplifier

SOA is a InGaAsP/InP laser that is operating below the threshold point. External pumping (current injection) is used to create population inversion. Population inversion is done to achieve the gain mechanism in SOA (amplification through stimulated emission).

Structure of SOA

Condition for Amplification by Stimulated Emission

Population Inversion: More Electrons in higher energy level

Pumping: Process to achieve population inversion usually through external energy source

Working of SOA

Stimulated emission creates in phase photons

Coherence

Spontaneous emission Incoherent light waves

Stimulated emission Coherent light waves All the inphase photons add up to create a much stronger light signal.

Working of SOA

Pump current is given

Semiconductor absorbs the pump energy to create population inversion. Population inverison: electrons move from low energy band to high energy band.

Working of SOA
The incoming optical signal (which is to be amplified) causes stimulated emission. The incoming photons strikes the excited electrons to drop down to the lower level. This causes the new photons of equal energy and in phase to the incident photons. This leads to amplified optical signal

Advantages of SOA
Compact Can be easily integrated with other optical devices. Consumes less electrical power Used in O band (1310 nm) Can operate at 800 , 1300, 1500 nm wavelength Relatively large gain

Limitation of SOA
High noise figure and cross talk. Limited in operation below 10Gbps. High data rate is possible but with lower gain.

EDFA : Eribium doped Fiber amplifier

EDFA is used in long distance communication. Uses Silica fiber doped with Eribium Eribium doped silica Operating range is 1530 to 1560nm Operating region of EDFA depends on the host material and the doping element,

EDFA working principle

EDFA

The active medium consists of

10 m to 30 m length optical fiber Lightly doped by rare earth elements such as
Eribium (Er) Ytterbium (Yb) Thulium (Tm) Praseodymium (Pr) Doping is 1000 parts in million (1000ppm)

Erbium energy-level diagram

EDFA
Energy Level Diagram Process of Amplification Transition Process Spontaneous Emission Process Stimulated Emission Process

Energy band diagram of a EDFA

EDFA has following energy levels

Pump band
Designated as 4L (11/2) Exists at 1.27eV from the ground state band 4L (15/2) . The 1.27eV corresponds to a wavelength of 980nm.

Top metastable band 4L (13/2)

Seperated from ground state band 4L (15/2) by 0.841eV. 0.841eV corresponds to a wavelength of 1480nm.

Energy band diagram of a EDFA

EDFA has following energy levels

Bottom metastable band
Seperated from the ground state band by 0.814eV 0.814 eV corresponds to 1530nm wavelength. Bottom of the metastable band seperated from top of ground state by 0.775eV. 0.775eV corresponds to 1600nm wavelength.

Basic Principle

EDFA: Power is transferred from PUMP source to WEAK signal. Amplification occurs through STIMULATED EMISSION PROCESS.

Basic Principle
EDFA works similar to laser without the reflectors. Amplification occurs through STIMULATED EMISSION PROCESS. Medium is pumped with pump signal until POPULATION INVERSION is achieved. Gives high power transfer efficiency from pump source to the signal power. EDFA: Power is transferred from PUMP source to WEAK signal.

Energy band diagram of a EDFA

Transition Process:
Optical Pump Pumping is done optically with primary pump wavelengths at 980nm or 1480 nm.
Input photons of 980 nm exites the ions of ground state to the pump level. These excietd electrons relax very quickly from pump level to meta stable level. (Transnsiton process) During this decay of electrons from pump level to metastable level excess energy is released as photons. Another possible pump wavelength is 1480 nm. The absorption of 1480nm pump photons excites the electons from ground level to metastable level (Transition process)

Energy band diagram of a EDFA

Spontaneous Emission Process:
Some of the electrons present at the metastable state will decay to the ground state generating photons of 1550nm.

Stimulated Emission
The weak light signal to be amplified when passing through the amplifier causes the electrons in the metastable state to drop down to the ground state, Thereby generating new photons of same energy, phase, polarization as the incoming photons.

Advantages of EDFA
High power transfer efficiency from pump to signal power (>50%). Wide spectral band amplification with relatively flat gain useful for WDM applications, Large dynamic range Suitable for long distance communication Low noise figure. Polarization independent

Limitation of EDFA
Device size is large (km length of fiber) Not easily integrable with other devices.

Amplification Process of EDFA

N3

N3
Radiationless Decay

980 nm Pump

N2 N1

N2 N1
Rapid Relaxation to "metastable" State

Optical Pumping to Higher Energy levels

N3
~1550 nm ~1550 nm Signal

N2 N1
Output

Stimulated Emission and Amplification

Gain versus EDFA length

There is an optimum length that gives the highest gain Negative gain if too long

Gain versus pump level

Gain decreases at large signal levels Signal dependant gain This increases with the

Fig. : Gain-flattened EDFA-B

Raman Amplifier
Optical Amplifier has non linear scattering effects.

SBS
SRS

Photon when incident on scatter produces a new photon in forward and backward direction with a frequency shift and energy transfer. SRS progressively transfers power from shorter wavelength to longer wavelength.

Raman Amplifiers
Raman Fiber Amplifiers (RFAs) rely on an intrinsic non-linearity in silica fiber (SRS Scattering)

This amplifier is used at the receiver end to boost up the signal attenuated over the entire fiber length.

Features of Raman Amplifier

Simpler to design Uses intrinsic optical nonlinearity of fiber Amplification takes place throughout the length of fiber

Hence also known as Distributed Amplifier

Stimulated Raman Scattering

Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS) causes a new signal (a Stokes wave) to be generated in the same direction as the pump wave down-shifted in frequency by 13.2 THz (due to molecular vibrations) provided that the pump signal is of sufficient strength.

Raman Amplification
Raman pumping takes place backwards over the fiber (Backward Pumping) Gain is a maximum close to the receiver and decreases in the transmitter direction Useful for compensating the losses.
Long Fiber Span Transmitter EDFA Optical Receiver

Raman Pump Laser

Working principle of Raman amplifier

Over the length of the fiber attenuation takes place.

To overcome the attenuation at receiver end of fiber we introduce a high energy pump signal of lower frequency .
Physics behind is called Stimulated Raman Scattering

Fpump = fsignal 13THz

This pump signal while traveling through the fiber towards transmitter will get scattered and produce a new signal (stokes signal) Stokes signal is in backward direction with a frequency shift of 13THz (stokes signal is a low wavelength signal)

Raman Amplifier

Raman gain depends on the pump power frequency offset between pump and signal.

Distributed Raman Amplification (II)

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

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

EDFA only

Distance

Advantages and Disadvantages of Raman Amplification

Advantages

Variable wavelength amplification possible (pump freq. has to be adjusted) Compatible with installed SM fiber Can be used to "extend" EDFAs Very broadband operation may be possible

Disadvantages

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

Sophisticated gain control needed (laser freq. control circuitry required)

Noise is also an issue
Source: Master 7_5

Comparision of EDFA and Raman amplifier.

Conclusion
Optical amplifiers perform a critical function in modern optical networks, enabling the transmission of many terabits of data over long distances of up to thousands of kilometers.