Uni-directional time-domain bulk SOA simulator considering carrier depletion by amplified spontaneous emission

A novel and comprehensive model for semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) to be used in high bit rate (10-160 Gb/s) optical communication systems is presented. Its uni-directional and time-domain character makes it very appropriate to be efficiently integrated in a high-level systems simulator, as is explained through a comprehensive comparison and classification of prominent SOA models/simulators. Despite its fast execution time, the corresponding SOA simulator accurately considers a manifold of ultra-fast nonlinear effects and dynamics and, for the first time within a uni-directional simulator, the impact of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) on the carrier dynamics. According to the numerical results here presented, the latter effect is fundamental in the simulation of SOAs longer than 0.5 mm.