Definition of passive devices and active devices

Passive device is the component that doesn’t need to work under the external power supply. Including
Fiber optical connector (SC/UPC, FC/APC)
Fiber directional coupler / splitter
Optical add-drop multiplexer (OADM)
Wavelength division multiplexer/ Dense Wavelength division multiplexer (WDM / DWDM)
Fiber optical attenuator
Optical filter (band pass, band stop)
Fiber optical isolators and circulators (polarization-dependent, independent)
Optical polarization controller, fiber delay line (FDL), fiber grating

Active device is the component that needs to work under the external power supply. Including
Semiconductor light source (LD, LED, DFB, QW, SQW, VCSEL)
Semiconductor optical detector (PD, PIN, APD)
Fiber optical laser (OFL, single wavelength and multi wavelength)
Optical amplifier (SOA, EDFA)
Optical wavelength converter (XGM, XPM, FWM)
Optical modulator (EA)
Optical switch / router

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