On the optimization of hybrid Raman/erbium-doped fiber amplifiers

A comprehensive theoretical study on the optimal configuration of hybrid Raman/erbium-doped fiber amplifiers has been carried out yielding a closed form analysis. In order to compare different system configurations, a weight for the impact of fiber nonlinearities has been introduced. The maximum reachable distance has been evaluated as a function of the span length and nonlinear weight, given a target optical signal-to-noise ratio.