Search

We propose and demonstrate a bidirectional optical add-drop multiplexer for use in single-fiber bidirectional networks. With effective use of multiport circulators, fiber-Bragg gratings, and a single amplifier element, the new structure can add and/or drop channels in both directions and achieves more than 16 dB of bidirectional gain. The device utilizes Bragg gratings and light absorbers to remove Rayleigh backscattered and reflected light at the input stage.

A GaAs/AlGaAs laser, consisting of a cleaved facet and a chemically etched total-internal-reflecting rooftop reflector, is fabricated and tested. The results show that the rooftop reflector with the reflectivity exceeding 0.9 can be readily obtained and the laser is suitable for optoelectronic integrated circuits.

The authors compare performances of all-optical gain-clamped 980 nm pumped erbium-doped fibre amplifiers. These are compared in terms of static behaviour, dynamic performance, and noise figure, for three different feedback wavelengths, 1532, 1543, and 1565 nm in a 2.5 Gbit/s eight-channel wavelength-division-multiplexed transmission experiment.