Gain-clamped erbium-doped fiber amplifier with pulsed compensating laser signal
AssigneeTyCom (US) Inc.
InventorAnhui Liang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gain-clamped, optical amplifier includes a rare-earth doped fiber and a source of pump energy coupled to the rare-earth doped fiber. The doped fiber serves as a gain medium that is optically pumped by the pump source. A wavelength-selective optical feedback loop is coupled between input and output ports of the rare-earth doped fiber. The feedback loop supports a compensating lasing signal, which is a pulsed signal located at a wavelength different from a signal wavelength.
Claims36
A gain-clamped, rare-earth doped fiber amplifier, comprising:
- a rare-earth doped fiber;
- a source of pump energy coupled to the rare-earth doped fiber;
- a wavelength selective optical feedback loop coupled between input and output ports of the rare-earth doped fiber, said feedback loop supporting a compensating lasing signal at a wavelength different from a signal wavelength, wherein said compensating lasing signal is a pulsed signal.
A method of amplifying an optical signal comprising the steps of:
- directing the optical signal to the input of a rare-earth doped fiber;
- optically pumping said rare-earth doped fiber;
- generating a compensating lasing signal at a wavelength different from the wavelength of the optical signal, wherein said compensating lasing signal is a pulsed signal;
- directing the pulsed compensating lasing signal to the input of the rare-earth doped fiber to provide optical feedback.
A repeater for use in an optical transmission system, comprising:
- a gain-clamped, rare-earth doped fiber amplifier, including:
- a rare-earth doped fiber;
- a source of pump energy coupled to the rare-earth doped fiber;
- a wavelength selective optical feedback loop coupled between input and output ports of the rare-earth doped fiber, said feedback loop supporting a compensating lasing signal at a wavelength different from a signal wavelength, wherein said compensating lasing signal is a pulsed signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.