Semiconductor optical amplifier with low polarization gain dependency
AssigneeQuantum Photonics Corporation
InventorsPeter J. S. Heim, Mario Dagenais, Simarjeet Saini, Xun Li
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Abstract
A semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) has an overall gain that is substantially polarization independent, i.e., less than 1 dB difference between transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) gain. The SOA includes gain and polarization rotation functions integrated onto a single substrate. According to one exemplary embodiment, a passive polarization rotation section is disposed between two active gain sections.
Claims45
A semiconductor optical amplifier comprising:
- a substrate;
- a first gain section disposed on said substrate for providing gain to an optical signal;
- a first polarization rotation section, adjacent to said first gain section and disposed on said substrate, for rotating a polarization of said optical signal received from said first gain section;
- and
- a second gain section, adjacent to said first polarization rotation section and disposed on said substrate, for providing gain to said optical signal received from said first polarization rotation section.
A semiconductor optical amplifier comprising:
- substrate means for integrating elements of said semiconductor optical amplifier thereon;
- first gain means, disposed on said substrate, for providing gain to an optical signal;
- first polarization rotation means, adjacent to said first gain means and disposed on said substrate means, for rotating a polarization of said optical signal received from said first gain means;
- and
- second gain means, adjacent to said first polarization rotation means and disposed on said substrate means, for providing gain to said optical signal received from said first polarization rotation means.
A semiconductor optical amplifier comprising:
- a substrate;
- and
- at least one active, gain section provided on said substrate for providing gain to an input optical signal, wherein said gain has a transverse electric (TE) component and a transverse magnetic (TM) component, a difference between said TE component and said TM component being more than 1 dB;
- and
- polarization rotation means for rotating a polarization associated with said input optical signal, both said at least one gain section and said polarization rotation means being integrated onto said substrate, wherein said polarization rotation means is provided in a passive section on said substrate,
- wherein said semiconductor optical amplifier has an overall gain with a difference between a TE component and a TM component of less than 1 dB.
A method for amplifying an optical signal comprising the steps of:
- disposing, on a substrate;
- a first gain section, a first polarization rotation section, and a second gain section;
- amplifying said optical signal in said a first gain section to generate a first amplified optical signal;
- rotating a polarization of said first amplified optical signal in said first polarization rotation section to generate a polarization rotated optical signal;
- and
- amplifying said polarization rotated optical signal in said second gain section to generate a second amplified optical signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.