RF and Opto semiconductor device specialist MACOM Announced introduction of high power capable new optical amplifier devices to amplify light signals so that they are powerful enough to travel longer distances to support Free Space Optical (FSO) communication between satellites and to ground stations. The product called Opto-Amp Is made up of Erbium and Ytterbium materials to achieve output power and efficiency. These amplifiers are suggested for use in earth stations and low earth orbit (LEO), medium earth orbit (MEO) and geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) satellite to improve connectivity.This development builds on MACOM experience with low-power optical amplification in RF-over-fiber transmitters, scaled up for more demanding applications.
Optical amplifiers amplifying the optical signal without the need for converting it into an electrical signal and then back into an optical signal.
“The Opto-Amp products are an exciting expansion to our portfolio,” said Stephen G. Daly, President and Chief Executive Officer, MACOM. “Our team has decades of experience designing and manufacturing optical RF over Fiber transmitters, which contain low power optical amplification. We are using this know-how to scale to higher power levels to produce small form factor high-performing optical amplifiers.”
Amplifiers which can provide higher light output efficiently support transmission of non-return-to-zero PPM modulated, burst-mode and coherent modulated optical signals.
MACOM To produce these devices at its US facility. MACOM showcased these devices at the recently concluded event SATELLITE 2025 Conference and Exhibition held on March 11 to 13, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Other vendors in this market:
SemiNex: Specializes in high-power SOAs for applications like LiDAR and optical communications, offering devices in the 1310 nm and 1550 nm wavelength ranges with high gain and saturation output power.
Innolume: Provides SOAs leveraging quantum dot technology, known for their photonic R&D work and offering custom solutions across various wavelengths.
Lumentum: Offers high-power, single-mode SOAs designed for telecom and 3D sensing, with a focus on compact, efficient devices in the 1550 nm range.
Thorlabs: Manufactures SOAs available in benchtop systems and pigtailed butterfly packages, covering wavelengths like 1310 nm and 1550 nm, suitable for telecom and spectroscopy.
Inphenix: Designs and produces SOAs alongside other optical devices, targeting applications in optical communications and broadband light sources, with options in the 1310 nm and 1550 nm bands.
AeroDIODE: Offers SOA modules in butterfly packages across a wide wavelength range (750–1650 nm), with high gain and output power, catering to fiber-coupled photonics systems.
TOPTICA EAGLEYARD: Provides tapered amplifier SOAs in various packages, including the miniTA, with wavelengths from 660 nm to 1495 nm, aimed at industrial and research applications.
Anritsu: Manufactures SOAs like the 1310 nm Chip Carrier Type Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (e.g., model AA3T115FYB) and other models (e.g., AA3F215CA), designed for high-temperature operation and compact optical transceivers in telecom applications.
