Dynamic response of quantum-dot semiconductor optical amplifiers electrical, optical, and electro-optical pumping schemes

In this paper, a comparison is made between the gain response of a quantum-dot semiconductor optical amplifier (QD-SOA) under three different pumping schemes (optical, electrical, and electro-optical). We found that under equal pumping powers, the electrical pumping scheme is more efficient than optical and electro-optical ones. Simulation results show that the electrical pumping scheme not only provides a higher optical gain compared to two other schemes, but also reduces the gain recovery time of the QD-SOA. Furthermore, the practical implementation of electrical pumping scheme is much simpler than two other ones.