Record high saturation power (+22 dBm) and low noise figure (5.7 dB) polarization-insensitive SOA module

A polarization-insensitive semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) module that achieves both a high saturation output power and a low noise figure (NF) was developed by applying a multiple-quantum-well SOA in a polarization diversity configuration. The compact and low-loss SOA module exhibited a gain of 15 dB, a polarization dependence of 0.5 dB, a record-high saturation output power of +22 dBm, and a low NF of 5.7 dB at a wavelength of 1550 nm. Over the wavelength range covering four coarse wavelength-division-multiplexing channels (1471, 1491, 1511, and 1531 nm), the module gain was greater than 15 dB, the gain variation is less than 2 dB taking into account both its wavelength dependence and polarization dependence, the module saturation output power was greater than +18.7 dBm, and the module NF was less than 7.4 dB.