Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers

This contribution is a chapter in the Optical Society of America Handbook of Optics, 3rd Edition. The chapter presents fundamentals, applications, and illustrative examples for semiconductor optical amplifiers, primarily based on the InGaAsP/InP material system, and for use in the 1.3-ìm and 1.55-ìm telecom bands. Topics covered are device basics, fabrication, device characterization, amplification of signals, switching and modulation, and nonlinear applications.