High-power, broad-band 1550 nm light source by tandem combination of a superluminescent diode and an Er-doped fiber amplifier

A high-power (20-mW) broadband (21-nm-FWHM) 1.55- mu m light source with small spectral modulation depth has been achieved by amplifying the output of a superluminescent diode (SLD) with an Er-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA). These characteristics are desirable for fiber gyroscope applications. The twin fluorescence peak problem is solved by operating the EDFA in the saturated region with an injected SLD signal. >