WDM optical communication system with remodulators and diverse optical transmitters

An optical communication system for carrying N optical wavelengths over an optical waveguide, where N is a whole number greater than or equal to 2, the communication system comprising:

• a first set of one or more optical transmitters;
• each optical transmitter in the first set emitting an information-bearing optical signal at one or more first transmission wavelengths .lambda..sub.Ti ;
• at least M optical receiving systems, each receiving system configured to receive an information-bearing optical signal at a particular reception wavelength, .lambda..sub.j, where M is a whole number greater than or equal to N and j ranges from 1 to M, each receiving system including a wavelength selector having an optical filtering member comprising at least one Bragg grating member for selecting the particular reception wavelength .lambda..sub.j, the Bragg grating member having a reflection band which includes the particular reception wavelength;
• a second set of one or more optical transmitters, each optical transmitter in the second set emitting an information bearing optical signal at a particular reception wavelength .lambda..sub.j, wherein the number of optical transmitters in the first set and the number of optical transmitters in the second set is less than or equal to N;
• a set of one or more optical remodulators optically communicating with the first set of optical transmitters, each optical remodulator of said set of one or more optical remodulators configured to receive an information-bearing optical signal at a transmission wavelength .lambda..sub.Ti and output an information-bearing optical signal at a reception wavelength .lambda..sub.j, said each optical remodulator comprising:
• an optoelectronic element for receiving an information-bearing optical signal at a transmission wavelength .lambda..sub.Ti and outputting a corresponding electrical signal which includes the information from the transmitted information-bearing optical signal .lambda..sub.Ti ;
• an optical carrier emitting element comprising a light source for emitting a non-information-bearing carrier optical signal at a reception wavelength .lambda..sub.j onto a light source output waveguide;
• and
• an external modulator optically communicating with the light source output waveguide for imparting information from the electrical signal onto the non-information-bearing carrier optical signal situated in the light source output waveguide;
• an optical waveguide optically communicating with the set of one or more optical remodulators and with the second set of optical transmitters through an optical combining element positioned between the set of one or more optical remodulators, the second set of optical transmitters, and the optical waveguide, the optical combining element combining plural optical wavelengths to form a multiplexed optical signal output to the optical waveguide, the optical waveguide further optically communicating with each of the M receiving systems through an optical splitting element positioned between the optical waveguide and the M receiving systems;
• and
• at least one optical amplifier optically communicating with the optical waveguide, the optical amplifier being configured to amplify a plurality of optical signals simultaneously.