Optical Amplifiers for Long-Haul and Metro Applications

The importance of optical amplifiers to the efficient use of optical bandwidth in long-haul and, more recently, metro optical networking applications can scarcely be overstated. Optical amplifiers have had and will continue to have enormous impact on the traffic-handling capacity of optical networks. While the next 12 to 18 months in the optical networking field will be exciting and fraught with some danger, the need for fiber-based optical amplifiers used for linear amplification of optical signals will remain substantial, both for "greenfield" deployment and for system upgrades to higher data rates.

This report includes a description of the components of erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs) and fiber Raman amplifiers. Five-year forecasts for the use of these amplifiers in both long-haul and metropolitan area networks (MANs) are included, along with forecasts of total units produced and average selling prices of these units.

• Executive Summary
  
  


• Methodology
  
  


• Introduction
  
  


• Some Points Of Nomenclature
  
  
  
  
  • Laser Versus Optical Amplifier
    
    
  
  
  • Bands, Bands, Bands
    
    
  
  
  
  


• Doped-Fiber Amplifiers
  
  
  
  
  • Some History And Physics
    
    
  
  
  • What's In An EDFA (C-Band)?
    
    
  
  
  • What About L-Band EDFAs?
    
    
  
  
  
  


• Raman Amplification
  
  
  
  
  • How It Works
    
    
  
  
  • The Distributed Raman Amplifier
    
    
  
  
  • The Discrete Raman Amplifier
    
    
  
  
  
  


• Amplifier Strategies
  
  
  
  
  • Three Major Limiting Factors
    
    
  
  
  • Chicago to Atlanta: How Many Ways to Design a Network Path?
    
    
    
  
  
  • Lessons of This Parable
    
    
  
  
  
  


• The Forecast for Optical Amplifiers
  
  
  
  
  • Is the Past Prolog to the Future?
    
    
    
    
    • Faster or Denser: Two Potential Roadblocks
      
      
    
    
    • The Potential Roadblocks and Their Effects on Carriers'
      Future Amplifier Strategy
      
      
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Which Way Will Amplifiers Go?
    
    
  
  
  • The Metro Puzzle
    
    
  
  
  
  


• Conclusion
  
  


• Vendor Profiles
  
  
  
  
  • Agere Systems
    
    
  
  
  • Alcatel Optronics
    
    
  
  
  • B&W Tek
    
    
  
  
  • Corning
    
    
  
  
  • Ericsson
    
    
  
  
  • Fitel Technologies
    
    
  
  
  • Fujitsu
    
    
  
  
  • IPG Photonics
    
    
  
  
  • JDS Uniphase
    
    
  
  
  • MPB Communications
    
    
  
  
  • NetTest
    
    
  
  
  • Nortel Networks
    
    
  
  
  • Synchronous Inc.
    
    
  
  
  • Xtera Communications
  
  
  
  

List
of Tables

• Table 1 - Spectral Bands For Optical Amplification
  
  


• Table 2 - SONET/SDH Standard Data Rates
  
  


• Table 3 - ITU Grid Spacing Across the C-band (Frequency and
  Wavelength) Versus Number of Channels
  
  


• Table 4 - Units and Total Revenue for Long-Haul EDFAs from 2001-2006
  ($billion)
  
  


• Table 5 - Units and Total Raman Amplifier Revenue, 2001-2006
  ($billion)
  
  


• Table 6 - Units and Total Revenue for "Low-Cost" EDFAs
  for Metro Applications, 2001-2006 ($million)
  
  


• Table 7 - Optical Amplifier Revenues, 2001-2006 ($billion)
  
  


• Table 8 - Compound Average Growth Rates for Optical Amplifiers,
  2001-2006 (Percent)
  
  
  

List of Figures

• Figure 1 - Total Market for EDFAs and Raman Amplifiers ($billion),
  2001-2006
  
  


• Figure 2- Gain Profile of Erbium-Doped Fiber in C Band
  
  


• Figure 3 - Relative Gain Coefficient for a Raman Amplifier Pumped
  at 1440 nm (arbitrary units)
  
  


• Figure 4 - Total Long-Haul EDFA Revenues ($billion), 2001-2006
  
  
  


• Figure 5 - Total Raman Amplifier Revenue ($billion), 2001-2006
  
  
  


• Figure 6 - Total Revenue for "Low-Cost" EDFAs for
  Metro Applications ($million), 2001-2006
  
  


• Figure 7 - Total Market for Fiber-Based Optical Amplifiers ($billion),
  2001-2006