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A novel type of semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) with improved energy-efficiency is presented conceptually and simulated numerically, using parameters based on a well-established heterogeneous photonic integration platform. The SOA has a confinement factor that can be varied by waveguide design only, and thus the gain, loss and saturation can be tailored along the light propagation direction. By using a tapered waveguide, the SOA can be designed for high gain at the input and high saturation at the output. By optimizing the design, it is shown that an almost 2-dB increase in saturation input power and a 10% increase in efficiency can be achieved, as compared to existing designs. This SOA design can be a key enabler for generic heterogeneous photonic integration platforms.
Martijn J. R. Heck (Wed,) studied this question.