Operation principles and numerical analysis of double-cladding erbium-ytterbium-codoped optical fiber amplifiers

Abstract

The increasing capacity of wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) transmission systems requires higher output power of erbium doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs). The two improvements are the use of double cladding fibers (DCF) and the addition of ytterbium oxide as co-dopant in the glass base. In this paper, the operation principles of double-cladding erbium-ytterbium co-doped fiber amplifiers were analyzed. Numerical analysis of erbium-ytterbium co-doped DCF amplifiers using EY801 fiber manufactured by INO, Canada has been performed based on the rate and propagation equations. The maximum output power as functions of the fiber length, the input pump power, the erbium-ytterbium concentration and pumping ways were described. The results show that the ideal erbium-ytterbium co-doped DCF amplifier with EY801 fiber is that with the fiber length of about 62 meters, with as higher as possible pumping powers, and with doubled-ended pumping configuration.