Abstract
Dynamic gain equalization (DGE) is emerging as a key enabler of high-capacity dynamically-reconfigurable long-haul transmission systems. In a conventional system, the imperfect spectral flatness of optical amplifiers, transmission fiber, and passive components leads to an accumulation of ripple in the signal power spectrum that can produce significant optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) penalties in the weakest channels.1 Min-imizing accumulated ripple in long-haul systems has required the deployment of erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs) and Raman amplifiers with very tight tolerances on gain flatness and custom clean-up filters. The use of DGEs periodically throughout the network eliminates the need for cleanup filters and allows amplifier flatness specifications to be relaxed, thereby decreasing system cost and increasing operational flexibility. Moreover, stimulated Raman scattering and spectral hole burning lead to dynamic changes in the spectrum as channels are added or dropped. Similarly spectral changes will occur due to change in temperature and aging of systems. Given that they can automatically adapt to these changes, DGEs are critical for reconfigurable long-haul systems.
© 2002 Optical Society of America
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