This thesis reports original work on suppression of transient gain excursions in an erbium-doped fibre amplifier (EDFA). The work presented in this thesis is a detailed investigation of four closed-loop systems that control the EDFA gain dynamically. The performance of the four closed-loop systems is evaluated by analytical work, supplemented by computer simulations and insystem measurements performed on a hardware EDFA. In addition, a stability analysis of the four closed-loop systems is presented. In the stability analysis presented in this thesis, nonlinear nature of the four closed-loop systems is taken into consideration. In the stability analysis, in addition to proving that the four closed-loop systems considered are stable, it is proven that for any practical values of the EDFA gain at the initial time of observation, the EDFA gain is restored to the desired value in steady state. These outcomes of the stability analysis are supported by simulation results and experimental results. Errors in system modelling, change in the operating point of the nonlinear closed-loop system, and measurement noise are important aspects of practical implementations of systems that control the EDFA gain dynamically. A detailed analysis of the effects these practical aspects have on the performance of the four closed-loop systems considered is presented. The analysis is validated using computer simulations and experimental measurements. In most of the work reported in the literature on controlling the EDFA gain, controllers that include feedforward and/or feedback components are employed. In the traditional approaches to combining the feedforward and the feedback components, large transient excursions of the EDFA gain can still occur due to errors in the control provided by the feedforward component. In this thesis, a novel approach to combining the feedforward and the feedback components of the controller is presented. Based on the analytical work, the computer simulations and the experimental work presented in this thesis, the novel approach provides a significant reduction in the excursions of the EDFA gain in the transient period.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--School of Computing and Engineering. University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2007. / "A dissertation in computer networking and telecommunication networking." Advisor: Deep Medhi. Typescript. Vita. Title from "catalog record" of the print edition Description based on contents viewed Jan. 24, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 130-138). Online version of the print edition.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Australia, 2007.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 100-105) Also available in print.

Thesis (M.Eng.(Electronic Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Summary in English. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [92]-95).

Thesis (M.C.S.)--Carleton University, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 151-153). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 88-97). Also available in electronic version. Access restricted to campus users.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - Carleton University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 128-137). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M.App.Sc.) - Carleton University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 86-94). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M. Eng.)--Carleton University, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 72-74). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.