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The Agilent 83438A—At a Glance
The Agilent 83438A—At a Glance
The Agilent 83438A Erbium ASE Source provides incoherent light for charac-
terizing fiber-optic components. Its output is centered at approximately
1550 nm. Because it has a relatively high-power spectral density, you can
probe devices with medium or high insertion loss. Its single-mode output orig-
inates from the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) of an Erbium doped
fiber amplifier. The power spectral density of the output is up to one hundred
times (20 dB) greater than that of edge emitting LEDs (for example, the
Agilent 83437A Broadband Light Source) and up to 100,000 times (50 dB)
greater than white-light tungsten lamp sources. An internal optical isolator
protects the Agilent 83438A from back reflections from the device under test.
This greatly improves the power stability of the Agilent 83438A.
Block Diagram of Agilent 83438A
