SOA pulsed driver with nanosecond speed: a new fiber modulator
Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers (SOA) driven in pulse regime are a high dynamic range, lossless, high extinction ratio and highly polarizing fiber modulator solution available from 750 to 1700 nm.
It is a very compact unit optimized for single-shot to CW performance with pulse width lengths down to 1 nanosecond. This SOA pulsed driver delivers precision pulses which are generated internally by an on-board pulse generator, or on demand from an external TTL signal.
Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers driven in nanosecond pulse regime can be compared with AOMs, EOMs or direct laser diode modulators (see comparative table). It is the only solution meeting all the constraints for a reliable, stable and efficient fibered modulation.
It is an ideal solution to drive most of the commercially available SOA like, for example, Innolume or Thorlabs. See our tutorial : fiber modulator basics
These products are now offered by AeroDIODE, 
a new ALPhANOV spin-off company. The product manager is available to answer any technical of commercial question.
Product reference: SOA
Key features
- User-set pulse width from 0.5 ns to CW
- High dynamic range : >48 dB, High extinction ratio : >~50 dB
- Lossless device
- Timing Jitter down to 8 ps
- Repetition rate up to 250 MHz
- User design pulse shape (SOA-shape only)
- No wavelength variation along the pulse duration
- Adjustable safety limits, current levels (average/peak), SOA temperature, etc.
- USB & analog control.
Datasheet & tutorial
File
This SOA pulsed driver works alone or in series with other products in our range like:
- Pulsed laser diode driver
- Fiber laser diode driver
- 808 nm laser diode
- 976 nm laser diode
- 1064 nm laser diode
- 1550 nm laser diode
- Fiber optic modulator
- Pulse delay generator
- Digital delay generator
- Pulse picker
- Fiber coupled AOM
Complex systems, such as fiber lasers, can be quickly developed on this module platform.
Turn-Key solutions which include the SOA (Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers) are also offered by ALPhANOV as a SOM (Semiconductor Optical Modulator).
Specifications
| Version | SOA standard | SOA HPP (High Pulse Performance) |
SOA Shape (Pulse shaping) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CW or pulsed ? | CW or pulsed | CW and/or pulsed | Pulsed |
| Output current (CW regime) | 800 mA | 2000 mA | - |
| Output current (pulse regime) | 1500 mA | 4000 mA | 1600 mA |
| Extinction ratio (dB, typ) (SOA choice dependant) | > 50 dB | - | > 40 dB |
| Switching speed (typ) (SOA choice dependant) | ~1 ns | ~0,5 ns | ~2 ns |
| Dynamic range (up to) | 60 dB | 60 dB | 48 dB |
| Trigger to pulse Jitter | < 20 ps | < 8 ps | < 2 ns |
| Pulse shaping | no | no | yes |
| Max repetition rate | 10 MHz | 250 MHz | 20 MHz |
| Max output power (SOA choice dependant) | From 20 to 100 mW (more than 500 mW have been measured in some pulsed configuration) | ||
| Interfaces/compatibilités/Libraries | USB - Windows 7/10 - DLLs - Hexa - Labview - Python | ||
| Dimensions | 130*110*29 | 170*107*27.5 | 162*92*27 |
| Operating voltage (AC/DC converter included) | 12 V | 24 V | 24 V |
The referenced media source is missing and needs to be re-embedded.
The referenced media source is missing and needs to be re-embedded.
Synoptic
PIN configuration
The referenced media source is missing and needs to be re-embedded.
These products are now offerder by AeroDIODE, a new ALPhANOV spin-off company.
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