IPDR improvement and gain reduction in a beam holding SOA

Abstract

The input power dynamic range (IPDR) of a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) is extended using a moderate power holding beam, which could be readily achieved with a single DFB laser. The associated reduction of gain with improved IPDR is studied and assessed in parallel with power penalty to explore the optimum operating powers in switching applications. Holding beam powers of less than +10 dBm facilitate IPDR enhancement to 27 dB, representing an order of magnitude improvement. The achievable gain remains sufficiently high to find applications in a number of switching and routing applications.