Fiber Bragg gratings and EDFAs pair off well

As fiber amplifiers increase the distance over which optical signals propag ate, they create a need for data-conditioning functions such as dispersion compensation. Also, the fiber-amplifier gain spectrum needs to be equalized and stabilized, and add/drop functions included. The authors argue that th e combination of fiber Bragg gratings and fiber amplifiers can achieve thes e goals at a reasonable cost.