Optical amplifier monitor using a blazed grating

Abstract

The traditional solution to monitoring the pump laser power uses the back facet of the pump laser to monitor its power. However, stability and aging issues of the back facet may make it difficult or even impossible to measure the pump power to a high degree of accuracy using this method. Pump lasers often use fiber Bragg gratings to stabilize their wavelength. However, if an in-line optical fiber blazed Bragg grating is used, then the pump power is coupled out of the grating to a detector and monitored. The method of the present invention minimizes components and provides a direct monitoring of fiber coupled power. Alternatively, light coupled out of a WDM is used in a similar manner to monitor the pump power.

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