Amplifiers for the masses: EDFA, EDWA, and SOA amplets for metro and access applications

Small erbium-doped amplets and semiconductor optical amplifiers will be used in current and future metro and enterprise networks in various configurations. Many new system architectures will be enabled as these low-cost technologies are used to compensate for transmission and impairment-compensating component losses. This paper discusses the definition, use, and technologies associated with these new classes of optical amplifiers which, though little, will impact next-generation networks a great deal.