Optical Network Building Blocks- Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers

Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (SOA) is a device that can magnify an optical signal without changing it into an electrical signal. It has immense use in the optical communication network systems. SOAs are used as in-line amplifiers in optical communication as well as laser physics. A Semiconductor Optical Amplifier works like a laser diode but with a difference. The end mirrors of SOA have an anti-reflection coating or non-reflecting ends. This ensures that light is not dispersed and the optical signal is amplified resulting in a better quality of the signal. A good SOA can be used in fiber optic cables which have become the backbone of telecommunication network all over the world. How does Semiconductor Optical Amplifier work? A fiber optic amplifier works by amplifying optical signals directly, without first converting it into electrical signals. It also supports multi-channel operations across a wide bandwidth. Unlike other optical amplifiers, a  Semiconductor Optical