Erbium-doped fiber amplifiers are optical amplifiers that strengthen an optical input signal without having to electro-optically convert it first. This amplification is based on the stimulated emission of the signal to be enhanced. The modulation of the signal is irrelevant; it does not change. The EDFAs are thus referred to as “transparent.”
Optical amplifiers are used in network technology; for example, they serve as signal amplifiers when bridging large distances, such as in transatlantic fiber optic connections.
In EDFAs, sections of the fiber are doped with erbium and then optically pumped using a semiconductor laser. The mEDFAs manufactured by VIAVI exhibit an output power between 12 dBm and 21 dBm. They feature a low noise of just 3.5 dB and an amplification profile with a flatness of better than 2.0 dB.
mEDFA Features
