Optimum Configuration and Design of L-Band Erbium-Doped Superfluorescent Fiber Source

Abstract

This paper investigates the design and optimum configuration of 1480 nm pumped high-power L-band (1570–1610 nm) erbium-doped superfluorescent fiber sources (SFSs). These broadband incoherent sources may find important applications in such areas as sliced wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) local-access networks, characteristic measurement for dense WDM components, laser spectroscopy, and fiber-optic sensor systems. We theoretically investigated and compared the characteristics of SFSs in terms of the mean wavelength, output power, and for various configurations of single-pass forward (SPF), single-pass backward (SPB), double-pass forward (DPF), and double-pass backward (DPB) structures. Among these configurations, the DPF scheme offered the highest output power with a good flat spectrum for an L-band fiber source. Both SPF and SPB configurations failed to implement the L-band SFSs. Though the DPB configuration could offer L-band SFS output power, the flat spectrum profile was difficult to establish. The results of this study may provide the configuration selection and design criteria of L-band erbium-doped SFSs.