System and method for a multi-mode pump in an optical amplifier
AssigneeAlcatel Lucent
InventorsNicolas K. Fontaine, Roland Ryf, David Neilson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical amplifier includes a multi-mode pump laser module, a multi-mode waveguide, a multi-mode to multiple single-mode fiber converter module and a plurality of single-mode cores. The multi-mode pump laser module emits pump light having a plurality of modes to the multi-mode fiber or waveguide. The multi-mode waveguide propagates the emitted pump light to the converter module. The converter module receives the pump light and distributes the pump light approximately uniformly to a plurality of single-mode cores.
Claims20
An optical amplifier, comprising:
- a laser module operable to emit a multi-mode pump light;
- a plurality of single-mode cores, wherein the single-mode cores are operable to propagate single-mode light;
- and
- a converter module operable to:
- receive the pump light from the laser module;
- convert the multi-mode pump light to single-mode pump light;
- and
- distribute the single-mode pump light to the plurality of single-mode cores.
An optical node, including:
- a laser module operable to emit a multi-mode pump light;
- a plurality of single-mode cores, wherein the single-mode cores are operable to propagate single-mode light;
- and
- a converter module operable to:
- receive the pump light from the laser module;
- convert the multi-mode pump light to single-mode pump light;
- and
- distribute the single-mode pump light to the plurality of single-mode cores;
- an optical signal coupler operably coupled to the converter module and a transmission fiber, wherein the optical signal coupler multiplexes the single-mode pump light from one of the plurality of single-mode cores to at least one single-mode core of the transmission fiber.
An optical node, comprising:
- a multi-mode pump laser module operable to emit pump light with a single transverse mode substantially aligned along an axis;
- a plurality of single-mode cores, wherein the single-mode cores are operable to propagate single-mode light;
- and
- a converter module including:
- a planar lantern, wherein the planar lantern includes a plurality of single-mode waveguides transversely spaced along the axis aligned with the single transverse mode of the planar multi-mode laser to propagate the pump light to the plurality of single-mode cores.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.