Deterministic Timing Jitter Analysis of SOA-Amplified Intensity-Modulated Optical Pulses

We demonstrate a detailed theoretical and experimental analysis of the deterministic timing jitter induced on intensity-modulated optical pulse streams when propagating through a SOA. The mathematical analysis reveals an approximate linear relationship between jitter and pulse intensity modulation when the SOA gain recovery time is shorter than the pulse period. The theoretical results have been confirmed by experimental deterministic timing jitter measurements for intensity modulation levels up to 8 dB, showing good agreement between theory and experiment.