Study on EDFA Gain Tilt and Nonlinear Distortion in an AM-VSB CATV Optical Fiber Transmission System

The gain tilt of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) and the nonlinear distortion in an AM-VSB CATV optical fiber transmission system with a cascade of EDFAs are analyzed. It demonstrates that the nonlinear distortion induced by the light source and the EDFA would be counteracted each other to a certain degree as long as the EDFA has a negative gain tilt. As a result, an optimal EDFA negative gain tilt is suggested as a solution to selfcomensation of the nonlinear distortion.