Packaged 1.5-$\mu$ m Quantum-Well SOA With 0.8-W Output Power and 5.5-dB Noise Figure

We report the demonstration of a lensed-fiber-pigtailed InGaAsP-InP quantum-well semiconductor optical amplifier based on the slab-coupled optical waveguide (SCOW) concept. At a 5-A bias current and a wavelength of 1540 nm, the packaged SCOW amplifier (SCOWA) exhibits a record 0.8-W saturation output power, 13.8-dB small-signal gain, 5.5-dB noise figure, and a maximum electrical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 11%. The estimated coupling efficiency between the large (5.6 times 7.5 mum), fundamental SCOWA mode and the lensed fibers (6.5-mum spot size) is 90%.