A theoretical analysis of the effects of erbium ion pair on the dynamics of an optical gain stabilized fiber amplifier

• Published in: Optics communications Vol. 265; no. 1; pp. 283 - 300
• Main Authors: Bahrampour, A.R., Mahjoei, M., Rasouli, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.09.2006; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Laser optical systems: design and operation; Multi feedback-loop EDFA; Optical telecommunications; Optics; Physics; Relaxation oscillations and long pulse operation; Resonators, cavities, amplifiers, arrays, and rings; Saturable absorber; Spectral hole burning; Telecommunications; Telecommunications and information theory; Multi feedback-loop EDFA; Saturable absorber; Spectral hole burning; Optical fibers; Saturable absorbers; Wavelength division multiplexing; Relaxation oscillation; Erbium ions; Gain control; Experimental study; Transients; Optical gain; Optical fiber amplifiers; Erbium-doped fiber; Feedback; Optical resonators; Hole burning; Optical communication; Optical amplifier
• ISSN: 0030-4018; 1873-0310
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optcom.2006.03.006

In this paper, the effects of ion-pair formation on the gain dynamics of multi cavity optical automatic gain control erbium doped fiber amplifier is modelled. The inhomogeneous Cabezas simple model is used to write the rate and propagation equations for the active medium. The solution of the governing equations shows that in high concentration of the erbium ions, depending on the pumping rate, the relaxation oscillations are converted to nT-Periodic or even to chaotic behavior. Although the high concentration erbium ion in the optical amplifiers decreases the conversion efficiency and increases the threshold pump power, amplitude of the transient effects is reduced in the multi feedback-loop WDM amplifiers relative to the low concentration erbium ions multi feedback-loop optical amplifiers and ion-pairs, which act as a saturable absorber to compensate the gain tilt caused by the OAGC laser spectral hole burning. The theoretical results are in complete agreement with the previous published experimental results.