Parametric instability of optical amplifier noise in long-distance optical transmission systems

In this paper, the optical amplifier noise accumulation in long-distance optical transmission systems is analyzed under the influence of the parametric process caused by the Kerr effect and group-velocity dispersion. By considering the input signal as a continuous-wave (CW) carrier and the optical amplifier noise as the small modulation, the general theory on the evolution of the optical amplifier noise along the system is proposed. This theory enables us to treat all of the noise enhancement effects, the so called parametric instability, discussed so far in a unified manner. The validation of the theory is finally confirmed by using extensive computer simulations.