Polarization-Insensitive GaInNAs–GaInAs MQW-SOA With Low Noise Figure and Small Gain Tilt Over 90-nm Bandwidth (1510–1600 nm)

rdquoWe developed a broadband polarization-insensitive multiquantum-well (MQW) semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) for application as an optical switch in broadcast-and-select-type optical packet switching systems. We adopted a GalnNAs-GalnAs MQW structure active layer to decrease the noise figure (NF) around the gain peak wavelength together with a small gain tilt in the C-band. The device exhibited a smaller NF on the shorter wavelength side of the gain peak compared with a GalnNAs strained-bulk SOA. The reduced NF resulted in a large effective gain bandwidth of up to 90 nm (1510-1600 nm). The device also exhibited the small gain tilt (<1.2 dB) and small polarization-dependent gain (<0.8 dB) in the C-band.