Apparatus and method for regenerating optical signals
OwnerDavid Cotter, Roderick P. Webb +1inventors
InventorsDavid Cotter, Roderick P. Webb, Robert J. Manning
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Abstract
Apparatus and method for 3R regeneration of optical digital signals in which a modulator, preferably an electroabsorption modulator, is driven by an electrical clock synchronised with optical input pulses (preferably by a phase-locked-loop controller) and is located downstream of a 2R regenerator so as to receive its output. Because the pulses are reshaped by the 2R regenerator before they are retimed by the modulator, a smaller proportion of the pulse energy is likely to be lost in retiming, and the effect of “chirp” from the 2R regenerator may be diminished because the parts of the pulse most affected by it are removed in retiming.
Claims20
Apparatus for 3R regeneration of optical digital signals comprising:
- a modulator;
- an electrical clock for driving the modulator;
- a controller for maintaining synchronism of the clock with optical input pulses;
- and a 2R regenerator which is also a wavelength translator and comprises a time-delay interferometer, at least one semiconductor optical amplifier and a source of continuous wave of the desired output wavelength coupled so that the semiconductor optical amplifier operates in cross-phase modulation mode;
- wherein the modulator is located downstream of and receives the output of the 2R regenerator.
A method of “3R” regeneration of digital optical signals that have become degraded comprising first reshaping pulses of the signal by means of a 2R regenerator which is also a wavelength translator and comprises a time-delay interferometer, at least one semiconductor optical amplifier and a source of continuous wave of the desired output wavelength coupled so that the semiconductor optical amplifier operates in cross-phase modulation mode and second retiming pulses of the signal by means of a modulator located downstream of and receiving the output of the 2R regenerator and driven by an electrical clock controlled to maintain synchronism with optical input pulses.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.