Photonic Devices and Systems, Lecture 33 1/5

Raman Amplifiers

Stimulated Raman Amplification

Strong
Pump
Light, λp
Raman Gain
Medium
(e.g. optical fiber)
Weak Amplified
Signal Signal
Light, λs Light, λs

A Fiber Raman Amplifier

From Fiber-Optic Communications, 2nd Edition, Govind Agrawal, Figure 8.10a

Linear Optics

The definition of the “D Field” in electromagnetism is

G G G
D = ε 0E + P

1
Photonic Devices and Systems, Lecture 33 2/5

where P is the polarization induced in an optical medium.

In linear and isotropic optical media, the polarization is

linearly proportional to the E field and in the same
direction.

P = ε0χE

Under these conditions the optical properties of the

medium (e.g. refractive index and absorption coefficient)
do not depend on light intensity.

Nonlinear Optics

For high light intensity, we may find that the relation

between the polarization and the E field is nonlinear:

(
P = ε 0 χ 1E + ε 0 χ 3E 3 = ε 0 χ 1 + χ 3E 2 E )
The quantity in parentheses looks like a susceptibility that
changes with light intensity. In fact, this relation describes
a material with a refractive index and absorption
coefficient that are intensity dependent.

2
Photonic Devices and Systems, Lecture 33 3/5

Stimulated Raman Amplification as a Nonlinear Optical

Effect

Stimulated Raman amplification is described by

(
P = ε 0 χ 1 + χ 3E pump 2 Esi gnal)
The pump changes the absorption coefficient for the
material, making it negative and producing gain at the
signal frequency.

The Photon Picture of Stimulated Raman Scattering

From Fiber-Optic Communications, 2nd Edition, Govind Agrawal, Figure 8.10b

3
Photonic Devices and Systems, Lecture 33 4/5

The Raman Gain Curve for Optical Fiber

From Fiber-Optic Communications, 2nd Edition, Govind Agrawal

Near 1550 nm, a frequency shift of 6 Thz corresponds to a

wavelength shift of 48 nm.

4
Photonic Devices and Systems, Lecture 33 5/5

When to use a Raman Fiber Amplifier

Erbium-doped fiber amplifiers work very well in optical

communications, and people don’t think Raman amplifiers
will replace them. However, systems designers
particularly like the idea of using both amplifiers to
increase the spacing between repeaters. The idea is to
use an EDFA to boost the signal at the beginning of a
length of optical fiber, and to use a Raman amplifier to
keep the signal from dropping into the noise before it
reaches the end of the fiber.