EDFA gain flattening optimization with long period fiber gratings in WDM system

This paper highlights a proposed optimized gain flatness technique for nonuniform gain spectrum of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) by introduction of long period fiber gratings (LPFG). In this analysis, EDFA gain spectrum has been evaluated between 1525 and 1600 nm with −20 dBm input signal power. Attenuation peaks of LPFG are optimized with a grating period of 240 µm and grating length of 30000 µm in the wavelength range of 1.1–1.8 μm, to compensate the peak gain of EDFA. Results have shown that EDFA peak gain of 35.94 dB is achieved at 1532.89 nm wavelength. This 35.94 dB peak gain is flattened up to 2.65 dB using long period fiber gratings. Also, less than ±0.3 dB gain flatness is achieved between 1528 and 1560 nm wavelength. The proposed less complex technique can be used to modify the grating parameters during fabrication in order to produce the loss peak at desired wavelength, which is efficient to flatten EDFA gain peak.