Design and Fabrication of Gain Equalization Filer in Optical WDM Systems Using Fiber Lattice Tapered Methods

WDM용 광섬유 증폭기를 위한 전광섬유형 이득등화 필터 제작

All-optical fiber-type gain flattening filer (GFF) for an EDFA (Erbium doped fiber amplifier) were fabricated by using a FBT (fiber biconical tapered) process and the performance of the GFF was tested and athermal package was proposed. Historically, the chief contributor to gain unevenness has been the EDFA. Due to the inherent gain response of the EDFA's operation, there is always a modest imbalance in the gain applied as a function of wavelength. FBT methods have been used to make fiber type couplers and WDM filter since 1980. Attractivity of this methods was simple, cost effective and thermal stability. Simulation program tool is made to design target GFF profile for this paper. Fiber coupler manufacturing machine is modified for the GFF process. The final GFF is obtained by cascading 4 unit filter that has 6 taper stage. Test result shows 1 dB of wavelength flatness in the C band. Polarization dependent loss is under 0.15dB. The center wavelength variation is below ${\pm}$0.35nm at the temperature range of $20^{\circ}C$ to $70^{\circ}C$.