Optical amplifier and system including the same

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an optical amplifier including an optical amplifying medium, a pumping source, an optical filter, and a control unit. Signal light is supplied to the optical amplifying medium. The pumping source supplies pump light to the optical amplifying medium so that the optical amplifying medium provides a gain band including the wavelength of the signal light. The optical filter is optically connected between the optical amplifying medium and the pumping source, and has wavelength selectivity depending upon temperature. The control unit controls the temperature of the optical filter according to a control signal given to the control unit. The wavelength characteristic of gain in the gain band provided by the optical amplifying medium changes according to the power of the signal light and the power and center wavelength of the pump light. When the temperature of the optical filter changes, the wavelength selectivity of the optical filter changes, so that the center wavelength of the pump light changes. Accordingly, the gain tilt of the optical amplifier can be adjusted.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.