Abstract
The capacity of optical networks using wavelength-division techniques1,2 with optical amplifiers to overcome distribution and propagation loss, is limited by total system bandwidth and amplifier saturation power. Erbium-fiber amplifiers limit the total system bandwidth to 40 nra whereas the fiber low loss window is much wider. Quantum well amplifiers, which have been demonstrated to have extremely high optical band widths of >100 nm as well as high gain saturation constant/ up to 20 dB of gain4 arid polarization-independence5, show great promise for this use. We report here new results of simultaneously amplified multiple channels with little crosstalk (0.5 dB at net gains of 8-10 dB) in contrast to bulk semiconductor results. A simple estimate based on gain saturation and beat noise shows that these amplifiers are capable of supporting -1000 channels.
© 1992 Optical Society of America
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