An Adjustable Gain-Clamped Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (AGC-SOA)

The operation of a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA)-ring laser-based subsystem, with the capability to provide adjustable gain-clamped operation, will be described, and preliminary characterization results will be presented. The device uses two SOAs in a ring-cavity topology: one to amplify the signal and the other to control the gain. This type of subsystem finds applications in packet-based dynamic systems where it may be used for power equalization and linear amplification.