US 4,794,346 A · Broadband semiconductor optical amplifier structure

Abstract

The broadband semiconductor optical amplifier fabricated in accordance with the teachings of the present invention comprises first and second active semiconductor regions (50, 51) disposed in tandem with each other, and means for injecting current (I.sub.1,I.sub.2) into the first and second active semiconductor regions to provide gain distributions over wavelength regions in the two active semiconductor regions which partially overlap to form a combined gain distribution over a wider range of wavelengths. Anti-reflection coatings (54, 55) are disposed on the extreme ends of the combined structure. Tuneable wavelength selective amplification over the wider range is achieved in various embodiments by including a tunable optical bandpass filter (53) or by including various tunable auxiliary light guiding structures (115, 116; 140; or 450) to which and from which light power is coupled from and to the active semiconductor regions of the amplifier, respectively.

Claims31

Dependent claims

An amplifier for amplifying a broadband input optical signal comprising:

first and second active semiconductor regions having first and second ends, wherein the first and second active semiconductor regions are disposed against one another at the second ends thereof, the input optical signal being input at the first end of said first active semiconductor region and the amplified optical signal being output at the first end of the second active semiconductor region, and
first and second means for injection pumping the first and second active semiconductor regions to produce gain over a wavelength in each, the wavelength at which the gain of the first active semiconductor region is a maximum being different than the wavelength at which the gain of the second active semiconductor region is a maximum, the wavelength regions overlapping to produce a combined gain distribution over a broader wavelength region than the wavelength regions of either the first or second active semiconductor regions alone.

An amplifier for amplifying selected wavelengths of an input optical signal comprising:

first and second active semiconductor amplifier regions having first and second ends, the input optical signal being input to the first end of the first active semiconductor amplifier region and the amplified optical signal being output from the first end of the second active semiconductor amplifier region,
first and second means for injection pumping the first and second active semiconductor amplifier regions to produce gain over a wavelength region in each, the wavelength at which the gain of the first active semiconductor amplifier region is a maximum being different than the wavelength at which the gain of the second active semiconductor amplifier region is a maximum, the wavelength regions overlapping to produce a combined gain distribution over a broader wavelength region than the wavelength regions of either the first or second active semiconductor amplifier regions alone,
an auxiliary light guiding section comprising first and second active regions, and
first and second means for providing variable gain in the first and second active regions of the auxiliary guiding section, the auxiliary light guiding section being disposed so that light energy is coupled between the first active semiconductor amplifier region and the first active region of the auxiliary section and the second active semiconductor amplifier region and the second active region of the auxiliary section to provide wavelength selective amplification.

1 more element

An amplifier for amplifying selected wavelengths of an input optical signal comprising:

first and second transmission waveguides each comprising an active semiconductor region having first and second ends and a passive region having first and second ends, the second ends of the the active semiconductor regions and the passive regions in each transmission waveguide being disposed adjacent to each other, the input optical signal being input to the first end of the active semiconductor region in the first transmission waveguide and the amplified optical signal being output from the first end of the the active semiconductor region in the second transmission waveguide,
first and second means for injection pumping the active semiconductor regions in each transmission waveguide to produce gain over a wavelength region in each, the wavelength at which the gain of the first active semiconductor region is a maximum being different than the wavelength at which the gain of the second active semiconductor region is a maximum, the wavelength regions overlapping to produce a combined gain distribution over a broader wavelength region than the wavelength regions of either the first or second active semiconductor regions alone, and
an auxiliary light guiding section having first and second ends and comprising first and second passive regions, the auxiliary light guiding section being disposed so that light energy is coupled between the passive region in the first transmission waveguide and the first passive region in the auxiliary light guiding section and between the passive region in the second transmission waveguide and the second passive region in the auxiliary light guiding section to provide wavelength selective amplification.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Broadband semiconductor optical amplifier structure

Life of this patent

Broadband semiconductor optical amplifier structure

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims31