Semiconductor optical amplifier cascade modeling for the PLANET SuperPON

The next generation of optical communication networks should provide a significant role for large range high-splitting ratio high-speed passive optical networks (SuperPON). Optical amplification of both upstream and downstream traffic is necessary to sustain these configurations with several amplifiers in series throughout the network. The Photonic Local Access Network (PLANET), an EU-ACT project, is developed to operate at 2-5 Gbit/s in the downstream direction and at 311 Mbit/s in the upstream. The downstream utilized erbium-doped fiber amplifiers whereas in the upstream the use of burst-mode semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA) minimized noise funneling effects. Results for the upstream SOA cascade are presented.