IMPURITY-BASED ELECTROLUMINESCENT WAVEGUIDE AMPLIFIER AND METHODS FOR AMPLIFYING OPTICAL DATA SIGNALS

摘要

Electroluminescent waveguide amplifier and methods for amplifying optical data signals in a fiber optical telecommunications system to achieve signal enhancement that compensates for losses incurred by attenuation, optical splitting, and routing through the optical communication system. The waveguide amplifier (30) includes an electroluminescent active layer (38) having a host medium doped with luminescent dopant atoms capable of amplifying a propagating optical data signal (45) by stimulated emission of photons (41). Confining and insulating cladding layers (36, 40) surround the active layer (38) and confine the propagating optical data signals (45) being amplified to the active layer (38) and cladding layers (36, 40).