US 12,665,375 B2 · Optical amplification device and optical amplification method

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem that, when an optical amplification device having a plurality of optical transmission paths, such as multi-core optical fibers, is used for bidirectional communication, it is difficult to construct an optical transmission system optimized for all of signal lights having different transmission directions. The optical amplification device of the present invention comprises: an optical guide means having a plurality of optical transmission paths including an optical amplification medium having a gain in the wavelength band of a signal light; an excitation light introducing means for introducing excitation light for exciting the optical amplification medium into the optical guide means from both ends of the optical guide means; and a residual excitation light introducing means for introducing residual excitation light output from both ends of the optical guide means and having a wavelength component of the excitation light into the optical guide means.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An optical amplification device comprising:

an optical waveguiding unit including a plurality of optical transmission paths containing an optical amplification medium having a gain in a wavelength band of signal light;
an excitation light introducing unit configured to introduce, to the optical waveguiding unit, excitation light that excites the optical amplification medium, from both ends of the optical waveguiding unit;
and
a residual excitation light introducing unit configured to introduce, to the optical waveguiding unit, residual excitation light being output from both the ends of the optical waveguiding unit and having a wavelength component of the excitation light, wherein
the optical amplification medium is formed of a plurality of cores to which a rare-earth ion is added, and
the optical waveguiding unit includes a multi-core optical fiber including the plurality of optical transmission paths formed of the plurality of cores.

3 more elements

An optical amplification method comprising:

introducing signal light to a plurality of optical transmission paths containing an optical amplification medium having a gain in a wavelength band of the signal light;
introducing, to the plurality of optical transmission paths, excitation light that excites the optical amplification medium, from both ends of the plurality of optical transmission paths;
and
introducing, to the plurality of optical transmission paths, residual excitation light being output from both the ends of the plurality of optical transmission paths and having a wavelength component of the excitation light, wherein
the introducing the signal light to the plurality of optical transmission paths includes introducing the signal light to a multi-core optical fiber including the plurality of optical transmission paths formed of a plurality of cores to which a rare-earth ion is added.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Optical amplification device and optical amplification method

Life of this patent

Optical amplification device and optical amplification method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20