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AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorsRichard J. Cereo, David O. Culverhouse, Thomas W. McNamara, Shou-Jong Sheih
Estimating the term…
Techniques for controlling the shape of the gain spectrum of an optical amplifier (13) based on the temperature and level of inversion of the amplifier's amplifying medium (20) are provided. An increase in temperature for an amplifying medium having a high level of inversion results in an increase in gain for longer wavelengths relative to shorter wavelengths, i.e., a counterclockwise tilt of the gain spectrum, while an increase in temperature for an amplifying medium having a lower level of inversion results in the opposite effect, i.e., a clockwise tilt. These effects can be used to compensate for changes in the operating conditions of the amplifier, e.g., to compensate for changes in signal powers. The effects of thermal tuning are especially useful in WDM systems employing multi-stage amplifiers.
A method of operating an optical amplifier, said optical amplifier having a gain spectrum and comprising an optical amplifying medium which can have at least a first and a second level of inversion, said method comprising controlling the temperature of at least a portion of the optical amplifying medium based on the level of inversion of said portion to control the shape of the gain spectrum of the optical amplifier, wherein
A method of operating an optical amplifier, said optical amplifier having a gain spectrum and comprising an optical amplifying medium, said gain spectrum being subject to variations as a result of changes in at least one operating condition of the amplifier, said method comprising inputting a plurality of signals at different wavelengths to the amplifier and adjusting the temperature of at least a portion of the optical amplifying medium based on the level of inversion of said portion to compensate for variations in the gain spectrum as a result of a change in said at least one operating condition wherein each of said plurality of signals has an input power and the change in said at least one operating condition comprises a change in at least one of said input powers.
A method of operating an optical amplifier, said optical amplifier having a gain spectrum and comprising an optical amplifying medium, said gain spectrum being subject to variations as a result of changes in at least one operating condition of the amplifier, said method comprising inputting a plurality of signals at different wavelengths to the amplifier and adjusting the temperature of at least a portion of the optical amplifying medium based on the level of inversion of said portion to compensate for variations in the gain spectrum as a result of a change in said at least one operating condition, wherein the change in said at least one operating condition comprises a change in the wavelength of at least one of the signals.
A method of operating an optical amplifier, said optical amplifier having a gain spectrum and comprising an optical amplifying medium, said gain spectrum being subject to variations as a result of changes in at least one operating condition of the amplifier, said method comprising inputting a plurality of signals at different wavelengths to the amplifier and adjusting the temperature of at least a portion of the optical amplifying medium based on the level of inversion of said portion to compensate for variations in the gain spectrum as a result of a change in said at least one operating condition wherein the optical amplifying medium is pumped with light having a pump wavelength and the change in operating condition comprises a change in the pump wavelength.
A method of operating an optical amplifier, said optical amplifier having a gain spectrum and comprising an optical amplifying medium, said gain spectrum being subject to variations as a result of changes in at least one operating condition of the amplifier, said method comprising inputting a plurality of signals at different wavelengths to the amplifier and adjusting the temperature of at least a portion of the optical amplifying medium based on the level of inversion of said portion to compensate for variations in the gain spectrum as a result of a change in said at least one operating condition, wherein the optical amplifying medium is pumped with light having a pump power and the change in operating condition comprises a change in the magnitude of the pump power.
A method for controlling the gain spectrum of an optical amplifier, said optical amplifier comprising:
A method of operating a multistage optical amplifier, said multistage optical amplifier having a gain spectrum and comprising a concatenation of at least two individually pumped optical amplifying media, said method comprising controlling the temperature of at least a portion of at least one of said individually pumped optical amplifying media based on the level of inversion of said individually pumped media to control the shape of said gain spectrum of the multistage optical amplifier.
A method of operating an optical amplifier, said optical amplifier having a gain spectrum and comprising an optical amplifying medium which comprises a first portion and a second portion, the average inversion of the first portion being less than the average inversion of the second portion, said method comprising controlling the temperature of the first portion to control the shape of the gain spectrum of the optical amplifier and not controlling the temperature of the second portion.
A method of operating a multistage optical amplifier, said multistage optical amplifier having a gain spectrum and comprising a concatenation of a first individually pumped optical amplifying medium and a second individually pumped optical amplifying medium, the average inversion of the first medium being less than the average inversion of the second medium, said method comprising controlling the temperature of the first medium or a portion thereof to control the shape of said gain spectrum of the multistage optical amplifier and not controlling the temperature of the second medium.
An optical amplifier having a gain spectrum and comprising:
An optical amplifier having a gain spectrum which is subject to variations as a result of changes in at least one operating condition of the amplifier, said amplifier comprising:
An optical amplifier having a gain spectrum and comprising:
An optical amplifier having a gain spectrum and comprising:
A multistage optical amplifier which has a gain spectrum and comprises:
The multistage optical amplifier, which has a gain spectrum and comprises:
An optical amplifier having a gain spectrum and comprising:
A multistage optical amplifier having a gain spectrum and comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.