Gain clamped L-band EDFA using a fiber Bragg grating in two stage configuration

• Main Authors: Harun, Sulaiman Wadi, Tamchek, Nizam, Ahmad, Harith
• Format: Article
• Published: John Wiley & Sons 2003
• Subjects: Q Science (General); QC Physics; TK Electrical engineering. Electronics Nuclear engineering
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/19637/; http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mop.10889
• Institution: Universiti Malaya

A gain clamping technique for the long-wavelength-band erbium-doped fiber amplifier (L-band EDFA) is presented. If uses two circulators and a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) to route a backward amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) from a second-stage amplifier and launch it back into the first stage. The use of a broadband (BB) FBG has shown a better gain clamping effect, compared to a narrowband (NB) FBG. The amplifier gain for the BB FBG set up is clamped at 15.0 dB with a gain variation of less than 0.1 dB for an input power as high as -5 dBm. The use of a BB FBG has also flattened the gain spectrum.