Amplification of an optical WDM signal

A method for amplifying an optical signal, the method comprising the steps of

• applying an optical input signal comprising a plurality of wavelength channel signals each at its dedicated wavelength to an optical amplifier unit (OFA),
• demultiplexing the input signal for separating each wavelength channel signal from the input signal,
• performing a first multiplexing for combining each separated wavelength channel signal with a separate pump signal,
• guiding each combination of a wavelength channel signal and pump signal to its dedicated amplifier means (FA1 . . . FA4),
• separating the pump signals from the amplified wavelength channel signals obtained from the amplifier means and performing a second multiplexing for combining the amplified wavelength channel signals into an outgoing WDM signal,
• characterized by
• performing at least said separation of pump signals and said second multiplexing by means of the same waveguide phased array component (WGA2).

An optical amplifier unit for amplifying an optical WDM signal, said signal comprising a plurality of different wavelength channel signals at different wavelengths, said amplifier unit (OFA) comprising

• separate amplifier means (FA1 . . . FA4) for each wavelength channel signal,
• at least one pump signal source (PL) for generating a pump signal,
• an input port for receiving said WDM signal,
• first demultiplexer means for demultiplexing the signal supplied to the input port into separate wavelength channel signals,
• first multiplexer means for multiplexing the pump signal with each wavelength channel signal,
• second demultiplexer means for separating the pump signals from the wavelength channel signals, and
• second multiplexer means for multiplexing the amplified wavelength channel signals after an amplification performed,
• characterized in that
• the first demultiplexer means and the first multiplexer means are implemented with a first waveguide phased array component (WGA1;
• WGA3).

An optical amplifier unit for amplifying an optical WDM signal, said signal comprising a plurality of different wavelength channel signals at different wavelengths, said amplifier unit comprising

• separate amplifier means (FA1 . . . FA4) for each wavelength channel signal,
• at least one pump signal source (PL) for generating a pump signal,
• an input port for receiving said WDM signal,
• first demultiplexer means for demultiplexing the signal supplied to the input port into separate wavelength channel signals,
• first multiplexing means for multiplexing the pump signal with each wavelength channel signal,
• second demultiplexer means for separating the pump signals from the wavelength channel signals, and
• second multiplexer means for multiplexing the amplified wavelength channel signals after an amplification performed,
• characterized in that
• the second demultiplexer means and the second multiplexer means are implemented with the same waveguide phased array component (WGA2).