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Silicate Fibers can Serve as L-band Fiber Amplifier

     With the development of big data and artificial intelligence, the next generation of optical communication places great demand for the dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) in telecommunication systems. The L-band (1565–1625 nm) Er-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs) are attractive in the next generation of optical fiber telecommunication. However, the L-band EDFAs face challenges of low emission cross sections of Er3+ ions at the L-band wavelength longer than 1590 nm, resulting in low gain coefficient (gain per unit length) and poor gain flatness

　　Most recently, a research team led by Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has succeeded in enhancing the L-band emission cross section of Er3+ ions by manipulating the local structures around Er3+ ions in silicate fiber. The study was published in Optics Letters.

　　In their experiment, more than 1.2× 10–21 cm2 of emission cross section at 1625 nm has been achieved in self-developed Er doped silicate fiber. The gain coefficient at 1625 nm wavelength of Er-silicate fiber was increased to 4.7dB/m. The gain flatness in a 1-m silicate fiber was achieved to be 0.8dB.

　　Moreover, compared with Er-silica fiber, the studied Er-silicate fiber has much higher concentration of Er, shorter length of fiber and high gain coefficient and better gain flatness, indicating an excellent fiber host for L-band fiber amplifier.   

　　This research leads to a host material for L-band EDFA.

　　This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China.

　　 

　　

　　L-band gain of Er silicate fiber.

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