Experimental hybrid optical amplifier with flat spectral gain and improved NF using novel hybrid gain control scheme for dynamic WDM networks

A hybrid Raman/EDF amplifier topology with a novel hybrid gain control (HGC) scheme based on joint actuation to provide flattened spectral gain together with improved noise figure was developed. This paper compares the hybrid amplifier performance with the most used optical amplifier topology to provide flat spectral gain (two-stage EDFA with coupled AGC), showing an improved of equivalent noise figure (1.12-6.53 dB) with flattened spectrum for all dynamic operation range (full C-band load). The hybrid amplifier yet improve the channels output OSNR along 100km SSMF span (1.67-5.04 dB) and reduces the channels OSNR degradation, enabling its use for WDM reconfigurable optical networks with 100 Gb/s advanced modulation formats transceivers.