Automated laser trimming for ultralow error function GFF

Pierre Bernard; Nathalie Gregoire; Ghislain Lafrance

doi:10.1117/12.472703

15 April 2003 Automated laser trimming for ultralow error function GFF

Pierre Bernard, Nathalie Gregoire, Ghislain Lafrance

Proceedings Volume 4943, Fiber-based Component Fabrication, Testing, and Connectorization; (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.472703
Event: Photonics Fabrication Europe, 2002, Bruges, Belgium

Abstract

Gain flatness of optical amplifiers over the communication bandwidth is a key requirement of high performance optical wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) communication systems. Most often, a gain flattening filter (GFF) with a spectral response matching the inverse gain profile is incorporated within the amplifier. The chirped fiber Bragg grating (CFBG) is an attractive technology to produce GFFs, especially in cases where very low error functions are required. Error functions smaller than or equal to ±0.1 dB for the full operating temperature range are now possible. Moreover, the systematic errors from cascaded filters are much smaller than for thin-film GFF, a factor of importance in a long chain of amplifiers. To achieve this performance level, the high-frequency ripples normally associated with CFBG-GFF have been reduced by combining state-of-the-art holographic phase masks and advanced UV-writing techniques. Lastly, to eliminate the residual low-frequency ripples and localized errors, we developed a laser annealing-trimming station. This fully automated station combines both the aging process and final trimming of the GFF refractive index profile to exactly match the required transmission spectra. The use of self-adjusting algorithms assures quick convergence of the error function within a very tight error band. The capital expenditure necessary to implement this new tool is small in relation to the gain in precision, reliability and manufacturing cycle time.

Citation Download Citation

Pierre Bernard, Nathalie Gregoire, and Ghislain Lafrance "Automated laser trimming for ultralow error function GFF", Proc. SPIE 4943, Fiber-based Component Fabrication, Testing, and Connectorization, (15 April 2003); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.472703

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