Abstract

Er-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFA’s) may find many potential application in optical networks due to their high gain, polarization insensitivity, low noise and immunity to cross-talk. They are especially useful in overcoming splitting losses in multiple access networks. Due to the very long ⁴I_13/2 lifetime of Er³⁺, fast gain switching, which would be needed for packet switching for instance, is not possible with EDFA’s. To direct traffic flow, however, slow gain switching schemes for EDFA’s may still be very useful. The purpose of this letter is to demonstrate an optical feedback scheme, which allows remote switching of the gain, all-optically over the transmission fiber without the need for any electrical or mechanical control device.

© 1991 Optical Society of America