Application of chalcogenide glasses for optical fibre amplifiers at 1.3 µm
Application of chalcogenide glasses for optical fibre amplifiers at 1.3 µm
The majority of optical fibre now installed in Europe and North America operates in the second telecommunications window, centred at 1.32 microns. In this region, fibre loss reaches one of its minima and chromatic dispersion is negligible. Unlike trans-oceanic cables which operate at 1.55 microns, no optical fibre amplifier exists at this lower wavelength, thus necessitating a conversion of optical signals to electrical signals in order to amplify and re-transmit over long distances. It is clear that to upgrade currently installed fibre and to remove barriers that limit the full exploitation of land-based fibre, an optical fibre amplifier operating at 1.3 microns will play a critical role. Intense interest in fluoride glass optical fibres doped with praseodymium, the PDFA, was generated three years ago with the announcement of a 1.3 micron amplifier operating with a gain of over 10 dB. This host was extremely inefficient however, with a gain of less than 0.1 dB/mW of pump power, compared to the gain coefficient of 11 dB/mw achieved with an erbium-doped amplifier operating at 1.55 microns.
Sulphide glasses based on Ga2S3 and La2S3 have recently attracted attention as a promising alternate host for the rare-earth praseodymium. When doped in a suitable glass, two energy levels of this ion are separated by an energy equivalent to 1.3 microns. In fibre form, such a glass provides the potential for highly efficient amplification. In addition to the basic Ga:La:S composition, we have developed and characterized a number of related glasses with an aim to improving quantum efficiency and also the thermal properties which are critical for fibre drawing. The goal is to approach the present 1.550 micron power amplifier performance of a 20 dB gain using only a few tens of milliwatts of pump power. In this paper, we present details of the properties of these glasses, progress towards the realization of a single-mode optical fibre and the overall suitability of sulphide glasses for an optical-fibre-based amplifier operating at this important telecommunications wavelength.
Hewak, D.W.
87c80070-c101-4f7a-914f-4cc3131e3db0
Laming, R.I.
c86f359b-9145-4148-bc7d-ae4f3d272ca2
Medeiros-Neto, J.A.
d7c4ff71-abc0-41c3-933a-62058d377518
Samson, B.N.
0e9f1440-04ab-4aad-994f-554d24a3a419
Wang, J.
53d8d8bd-3c17-406e-9acf-961cc86b9a00
Dussardier, B.
8aa34331-69c0-42c6-8de7-b7ed18af8de5
Taylor, E.R.
d9a73a87-6abd-4a1e-a462-84549c667d19
Jedrzejewski, K.P.
c1dbf6fd-ee1f-4225-a6fa-fdfda93718ee
Wylangowski, G.
d2d86d77-5064-44d2-b424-da0195394d55
Payne, D.N.
4f592b24-707f-456e-b2c6-8a6f750e296d
Tarbox, E.J.
5ba8718b-b1ea-4291-bbab-293456f66206
Maton, P.D.
b36996d9-42d5-41fe-b9af-844ecf036917
Roba, G.M.
3dcf8535-c981-40ec-9dff-badb66938fd1
Kinsman, B.
e46c9ff2-3eb7-4fcd-b5f3-84cc26303ab1
Hanney, R.
62658f04-c031-442c-aa4d-570f5e31cc70
1994
Hewak, D.W.
87c80070-c101-4f7a-914f-4cc3131e3db0
Laming, R.I.
c86f359b-9145-4148-bc7d-ae4f3d272ca2
Medeiros-Neto, J.A.
d7c4ff71-abc0-41c3-933a-62058d377518
Samson, B.N.
0e9f1440-04ab-4aad-994f-554d24a3a419
Wang, J.
53d8d8bd-3c17-406e-9acf-961cc86b9a00
Dussardier, B.
8aa34331-69c0-42c6-8de7-b7ed18af8de5
Taylor, E.R.
d9a73a87-6abd-4a1e-a462-84549c667d19
Jedrzejewski, K.P.
c1dbf6fd-ee1f-4225-a6fa-fdfda93718ee
Wylangowski, G.
d2d86d77-5064-44d2-b424-da0195394d55
Payne, D.N.
4f592b24-707f-456e-b2c6-8a6f750e296d
Tarbox, E.J.
5ba8718b-b1ea-4291-bbab-293456f66206
Maton, P.D.
b36996d9-42d5-41fe-b9af-844ecf036917
Roba, G.M.
3dcf8535-c981-40ec-9dff-badb66938fd1
Kinsman, B.
e46c9ff2-3eb7-4fcd-b5f3-84cc26303ab1
Hanney, R.
62658f04-c031-442c-aa4d-570f5e31cc70
Hewak, D.W., Laming, R.I., Medeiros-Neto, J.A., Samson, B.N., Wang, J., Dussardier, B., Taylor, E.R., Jedrzejewski, K.P., Wylangowski, G., Payne, D.N., Tarbox, E.J., Maton, P.D., Roba, G.M., Kinsman, B. and Hanney, R.
(1994)
Application of chalcogenide glasses for optical fibre amplifiers at 1.3 µm.
UK IT Forum Conference, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
22 - 23 Mar 1994.
Record type:
Conference or Workshop Item
(Paper)
Abstract
The majority of optical fibre now installed in Europe and North America operates in the second telecommunications window, centred at 1.32 microns. In this region, fibre loss reaches one of its minima and chromatic dispersion is negligible. Unlike trans-oceanic cables which operate at 1.55 microns, no optical fibre amplifier exists at this lower wavelength, thus necessitating a conversion of optical signals to electrical signals in order to amplify and re-transmit over long distances. It is clear that to upgrade currently installed fibre and to remove barriers that limit the full exploitation of land-based fibre, an optical fibre amplifier operating at 1.3 microns will play a critical role. Intense interest in fluoride glass optical fibres doped with praseodymium, the PDFA, was generated three years ago with the announcement of a 1.3 micron amplifier operating with a gain of over 10 dB. This host was extremely inefficient however, with a gain of less than 0.1 dB/mW of pump power, compared to the gain coefficient of 11 dB/mw achieved with an erbium-doped amplifier operating at 1.55 microns.
Sulphide glasses based on Ga2S3 and La2S3 have recently attracted attention as a promising alternate host for the rare-earth praseodymium. When doped in a suitable glass, two energy levels of this ion are separated by an energy equivalent to 1.3 microns. In fibre form, such a glass provides the potential for highly efficient amplification. In addition to the basic Ga:La:S composition, we have developed and characterized a number of related glasses with an aim to improving quantum efficiency and also the thermal properties which are critical for fibre drawing. The goal is to approach the present 1.550 micron power amplifier performance of a 20 dB gain using only a few tens of milliwatts of pump power. In this paper, we present details of the properties of these glasses, progress towards the realization of a single-mode optical fibre and the overall suitability of sulphide glasses for an optical-fibre-based amplifier operating at this important telecommunications wavelength.
Text
764
- Author's Original
More information
Published date: 1994
Venue - Dates:
UK IT Forum Conference, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 1994-03-22 - 1994-03-23
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 77169
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/77169
PURE UUID: 5ca89f4c-a3fc-4228-a2f7-a2b4aceebf6a
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 11 Mar 2010
Last modified: 13 Mar 2024 23:45
Export record
Contributors
Author:
R.I. Laming
Author:
J.A. Medeiros-Neto
Author:
B.N. Samson
Author:
J. Wang
Author:
B. Dussardier
Author:
E.R. Taylor
Author:
K.P. Jedrzejewski
Author:
G. Wylangowski
Author:
E.J. Tarbox
Author:
P.D. Maton
Author:
G.M. Roba
Author:
B. Kinsman
Author:
R. Hanney
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics