US 2003/0147120 A1 · Method and system for recycling pump power in an erbium doped fiber amplifier

Abstract

A WDM device separates an information signal and a pump power signal, each having a different wavelength from the other, from a combined signal after the information signal has been amplified by a first fiber amplifier stage. The pump power signal is isolated so that is does not co-propagate with the information signal to another fiber amplifier stage, or from an output of the amplifier assembly. The isolated pump power signal is routed to another WDM device that combines this recycled pump power signal and the information signal provided from the first stage. The recycled pump power is used to stimulate dopant of the next stage fiber amplifier to cause amplification of the information signal above the level provided by the first stage.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A pump-power recycling amplifier comprising:

first stage means for amplifying an optical information signal, the first amplifying means including a silicon fiber doped with a rare-earth element;
means for providing a pump power signal to stimulate valance electrons of the rare-earth element into an energy state higher than their valence state;
means for separating a combined pump power signal and an information signal into constituent signals such that each signal is isolated from the other at respective outputs of the splitting means;
and
means for routing the isolated pump power signal to a next stage amplifying means, the isolated pump power signal being used to stimulate a rare earth element of the next stage amplifying means into an energy state higher than the valence state.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and system for recycling pump power in an erbium doped fiber amplifier

Life of this patent

Method and system for recycling pump power in an erbium doped fiber amplifier

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10