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US 6,233,080 B1Granted
Crosstalk-free signal source for dense wavelength division multiplexed systems
AssigneeCiena Corporation
InventorsTomas Brenner, Paul A. Morton, Daniel Xiaoxing Zhu
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Abstract
An optical device is provided which locks the wavelength output of a laser transmitter in an optical transmission system as well as preventing the propagation of unwanted signals generated by the laser transmitter prior to the transmitter reaching the desired operating wavelength thereby reducing crosstalk between channels within a wavelength division multiplexed communication system.
Claims19
An optical device for reducing crosstalk associated with a plurality of optical channels in a communication system comprising:
- a light source for generating a light signal at a particular wavelength, said light source having a ramp-up period in which said light source does not substantially emit the light signal at the particular wavelength;
- and
- a light modulation element coupled to said light source, said light modulation element having an “on” and “off” state such that when said light modulation element is in said “on” state, said light signal generated by said light source at said particular wavelength is substantially allowed to propagate along an optical transmission path, and when said light modulation element is in said “off” state, said light modulation element substantially prevents said light signal from propagating along said optical transmission path,
- said light modulation element being in the off state during the ramp-up period of said light source to substantially prevent the light signal at a wavelength other than the particular wavelength from propagating along said optical transmission path.
1 more element
An optical communication system comprising:
- a light source generating a light signal at or near a particular wavelength when said light source is in a stabilized condition and at other wavelengths when said light source is not in the stabilized condition;
- a modulation element optically communicating with said light source along a transmission path, said modulation element having a transmit condition and a nontransmit condition, wherein when said light source is in the stabilized condition said modulation element is in said transmit condition such that said light signal generated by said light source is allowed to propagate along said transmission path, and wherein when said light source is not in the stabilized condition said modulation element is in said nontransmit condition such that said modulation element substantially prevents said light signal at one of the other wavelengths from leaking into said optical transmission path;
- a partially reflective element optically communicating with said modulation element;
- and
- a control circuit optically communicating with said partially reflective element and said light source, said control circuit configured to detect a portion of said light transmitted through said partially reflective element and generating an output signal in response thereto, said output signal used to adjust said wavelength of said light signal.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.