title: Method to improve the noise figure and saturation power in multi-contact semiconductor optical amplifiers: simulation and experiment.
abstract: The consequences of tailoring the longitudinal carrier density along the active layer of a multi-contact bulk semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) are investigated using a rate equation model. It is shown that both the noise figure and output power saturation can be optimized for a fixed total injected bias current. The simulation results are validated by comparison with experiment using a multi-contact SOA. The inter-contact resistance is increased using a focused ion beam in order to optimize the carrier density control. A chip noise figure of 3.8 dB and a saturation output power of 9 dBm are measured experimentally for a total bias current of 150 mA.
authors.affiliation: The Rince Institute, School of Electronic Engineering, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland. kevin.carney2@mail.dcu.ie
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Carney
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lennox
authors.forename: Ramon
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maldonado-Basilio
authors.forename: Severine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Philippe
authors.forename: Frederic
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Surre
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Landais
mesh_terms: D000669:Amplifiers, Electronic; D003198:Computer Simulation; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004735:Energy Transfer; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D055096:Optical Devices; D012666:Semiconductors; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio