EDFA Optical Amplifier - Detailed reference
As an integrated part of long haul data transmission, an optical amplifier is able to amplify optical signals directly without the need to convert the signal into an electrical one before amplifying, which is also the most prominent feature. Among the many different optical amplifiers that can achieve amplification over long-haul optical communication, Erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) is one of the most commonly used types. EDFA Optical Amplifier—Boosting Optical Signals More Effectively When being transmitted over long distances, the optical signal has to be amplified many times in between owing to the signal loss from fiber attenuation, connectivity losses, fiber splicing losses, etc. Before an optical amplifier is invented, the optical signal has to be first converted into an electrical signal, amplified, and then converted back to an optical signal again. The process is very complicated and expensive. To overcome such a problem, the optical amplifier has sin