Band selection in an amplified spontaneous emission source using the backward-feedback technique

Abstract

In this paper, the band-selective behavior in an amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) source of an erbium-doped silica fiber (EDF) is demonstrated. C-band operation is obtained without backward ASE feedback, whereas L-band operation is obtained with backward ASE feedback. The conversion from C-band to L-band results in a total spectral power improvement of 0.3 dB, while the 980-nm pump power is fixed at 44.5 mW. The average power-density improvement for the L-band region (1565-1605 nm) was 18.9 dB with a maximum of 33.8 dB at 1565.0 nm, compared to the feedback and nonfeedback systems. The maximum power-density results for the feedback and nonfeedback systems are -10.4 and -4.0 dBm at 1559.4 and 1563.4 nm, respectively. A bandwidth of 85.6 nm (1515.4-1601.0 nm) and 67.3 nm (1545.2-1612.5 nm) was obtained for the feedback and nonfeedback systems, respectively, at a power density of -30 dBm/nm. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 46: 218-220, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com).