Thermal ripple-compensating, gain-flattening filter for an optical amplifier
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorsGlenn D. Bartolini, Vikram Bhatia, Peter G. Wigley
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Abstract
An optical device including an optical amplifier to amplify optical signals received through an optical input, and to supply the amplified optical signals from an optical output, and an optical filter component to compensate for variations in the gain spectrum of the optical amplifier that occur as a function of wavelength and operating temperature. The optical filter component includes a first optical filter having an athermalized transmission spectrum and a second optical filter having a transmission (of insertion loss) spectrum that varies as a function of operating temperature.
Claims14
An optical device having an optical input and output, said optical device comprising:
- an optical amplifier to amplify optical signals received through the optical input of the device;
- and
- an optical filter component to compensate for variations in the gain spectrum of said optical amplifier that occur as a function of wavelength and operating temperature, wherein said optical filter component includes a first optical filter having an athermalized transmission spectrum, and a second optical filter having a transmission spectrum that varies as a function of operating temperature.
An optical filter for flattening the gain of an optical amplifier that has a gain spectrum that varies as a function of operating temperature, said optical filter comprising:
- a first optical filter portion having an athermalized transmission spectrum;
- and
- a second optical filter portion having a transmission spectrum that varies as a function of operating temperature,
- wherein said first and second optical filter portions compensate for variations in the gain spectrum of said optical amplifier that occur as a function of wavelength and operating temperature.
A method of compensating for variations in the gain spectrum of an optical amplifier that occur with fluctuations in operating temperature, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a first optical filter having an athermalized insertion loss spectrum;
- and
- providing a second optical filter having an insertion loss spectrum that varies with fluctuations in operating temperature, and that, when combined with the insertion loss spectrum of the first optical filter, compensates for variations in the optical amplifier gain as a function of wavelength.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.