VPIcomponentMaker™ Optical Amplifiers

VPIcomponentMaker™ Optical Amplifiers is an integrated design environment for doped-fiber and doped-waveguide based amplifier and laser applications, as well as Raman amplifiers.

Download additional product information.

It offers means to define, test and optimize the gain, noise and efficiency of doped-fiber amplifiers and lasers over wide wavelength ranges, using time-averaged optical signal and noise representations. Time-dynamic and systems simulations can be performed in conjunction with VPItransmissionMaker Optical Systems. Alternatively, amplifier designs can be automatically characterized and converted into pump-power dependent Black-Box models for rapid systems simulations of gain-controlled amplifiers.

The graphical interface allows almost any amplifier topology to be defined from a wide range of waveguides, doped and passive fibers, passive and active components. Interactive simulations, including multi-dimensional sweeps, optimizations and dynamical variations can be performed.

Specialist displays present the internal and external characteristics of the designed equipment. Feature-rich transmission and doped fiber models incorporate super-stable and efficient algorithms for the most demanding design tasks including multiband, multistage, multipump, hybrid, Raman, (co-)doped fiber and waveguide amplifiers and lasers.

Complex amplifier topologies that combine different technologies (doped fibers & waveguides, Raman) can be investigated.

Applications

Perform bidirectional Raman modeling with all signal-pump-noise-backscatter interactions (stimulated and spontaneous Raman scattering).
Import an OTDR trace representing local insertion loss and reflections for true characterization of installed fibers.
Model sophisticated Er/Yb doped or co-doped fiber amplifiers and lasers with flexible input parameter specifications including Giles parameters or gain and absorption cross-sections, refractive index and doping profiles or wavelength-dependent overlap factors, wavelength-dependent Rayleigh backscatter and background loss, two or three-level parameters.
Investigate concentration quenching, excited-state absorption, gain temperature-dependence, and spectral hole burning doped-fiber amplifiers.
Design co-doped waveguide amplifiers from waveguide dimensions upwards, and including excited-state absorption, up conversion, cross-relaxation, and pair-induced interactions in co doped waveguides.
Stimulate full interaction between amplifier stages, including pump reuse and ASE-pumped amplification.
Characterize amplifier performance and BER estimation using specialist instrumentation.
Abstract doped-fiber designs to pump-power dependent Black-Box models.
Design high-power fiber lasers with output powers above 1 kW using cladding-pumped large-core Yb or Er/Yb-doped fibers.
Explore gain flattening, pump reuse and multistage amplifier design with a wide range of passive component models.
Implement gain or power control schemes using feedback loops and control circuits.
and many more. (Explore application examples in detail!)

Powerful optimization tools can be applied to set pump wavelengths and powers of multi-pump Raman amplifiers.

Visualizing the distribution of power, noise or inversion along the (doped) fiber provides useful information to improve the amplifier design.