Compact amplifier could revolutionize optical communication

Date:
September 21, 2021
Source:
Chalmers University of Technology
Summary:
Researchers present a unique optical amplifier that is expected to
revolutionize both space and fiber communication. The new amplifier
offers high performance, is compact enough to integrate into a chip
just millimeters in size, and -- crucially -- does not generate
excess noise.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, present a
unique optical amplifier that is expected to revolutionise both space
and fiber communication. The new amplifier offers high performance,
is compact enough to integrate into a chip just millimeters in size,
and -- crucially -- does not generate excess noise.


========================================================================== "This could be compared to switching from older, dial-up internet
to modern broadband, with high speed and quality," says Professor
Peter Andrekson, Head of the Photonics Laboratoryat the Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience at Chalmers.

Optical communication makes it possible to send information over very
long distances. The technology is useful in a range of applications, such
as space communication and in fiber optic cables for internet traffic.

With communication based on light, rather than radio waves, we could, for example, quickly send high-resolution images from Mars. The information, carried by laser beams, could be sent with high speed from a transmitter
on the planet to a receiver on Earth or on the Moon. Optical communication
also allows us to use the internet around the world -- whether the signal
is transferred in optical fiber cables under the seabed or transmitted wirelessly.

Because the light -- carrying the information between two distant points
- - loses power along the way, a large number of optical amplifiers
are needed.

Without amplifiers, up to 99 percent of the signal in an optical fiber
cable would disappear within 100 kilometers.

A constant battle against excess noise A well-known problem in optical communication, however, is that these amplifiers add excess noise that significantly impairs the quality of the signal you want to send or
receive. Now, the Chalmers researchers present an extremely promising
solution to an obstacle that has existed for decades.



==========================================================================
"We have developed the world's first optical amplifier that significantly enhances the range, sensitivity and performance of optical communication,
that does not generate any excess noise -- and is also compact enough to
be of practical use," says Ping Zhao, Postdoc at the Photonics Laboratory
at Chalmers and one of the lead authors of the scientific paper, now
published in Science Advances.

The light amplification in the project is based on a principle known as
the Kerr effect, which so far is the only known approach that amplifies
light without causing significant excess noise. The principle has been demonstrated before, but never in such a compact format- previous versions
were too bulky to be useful.

The new amplifier fits in a small chip just a few millimeters in size,
compared to previous amplifiers that have been several thousand times
larger.

Tiny, quiet, and with high performance Additionally, the new amplifiers
offer a level of performance high enough that they can be placed more sparingly, making them a more cost-effective option.

They also work in a continuous wave (CW) operation rather than a pulsed operation only.

"What we demonstrate here represents the first CW operation
with an extremely low noise in a compact integrated chip. This
provides a realistic opportunity for practical use in a variety of applications. Since it's possible to integrate the amplifier into very
small modules, you can get cheaper solutions with much better performance, making this very interesting for commercial players in the long run,"
says research leader Peter Andrekson.

The new results also open doors to completely new applications in both technology and science, explains Peter Andrekson.

"This amplifier shows unprecedented performance. We
consider this to be an important step towards practical use,
not only in communication, but in areas including quantum
computers, various sensor systems and in metrology when making
atmospheric measurements from satellites for Earth monitoring." ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by
Chalmers_University_of_Technology. Original written by Lovisa Haakansson
and Mia Hallero"d Palmgren. Note: Content may be edited for style
and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Zhichao Ye, Ping Zhao, Krishna Twayana, Magnus Karlsson, Victor
Torres-
Company, Peter A. Andrekson. Overcoming the quantum limit of
optical amplification in monolithic waveguides. Science Advances,
2021; 7 (38) DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abi8150 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210921081020.htm

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