METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AMPLIFYING UNIT INCLUDING VARIABLE OPTICAL ATTENUATOR AND SEMICONDUCTOR OPTICAL AMPLIFIER

摘要

A method to control an amplifying unit including a variable optical attenuator VOA and a semiconductor optical amplifier SOA is disclosed. The method first sets the attenuation of the VOA in a value realizable in the VOA and the optical gain of the SOA in a value where the SOA may operate in an optimum range. The method then gradually reduces the attenuation of the VOA as detecting the intensity of the beam output from the amplifying unit. When the intensity is still less than a target one even when the VOA shows no attenuation, the optical gain of the SOA is gradually increased to a value by which the intensity of the output beam becomes the target one.

主权项

1. A method to control an amplifying unit including a variable optical attenuator (VOA) and a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA), the method comprising steps of:
setting preset attenuation in the VOA, the preset attenuation being maximum attenuation realizable in the VOA; setting a preset optical gain in the SOA by supplying an amplifier bias to the SOA, the SOA being operable in an optical range around the preset optical gain; and setting intensity of a beam amplified by the SOA in target intensity by reducing the attenuation of the VOA.