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US 6,433,920 B1Granted
Raman-based utility optical amplifier
AssigneeJDS Uniphase Corporation
InventorsDavid F. Welch, Robert J. Lang, Edward C. Vail, Mehrdad Ziari
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Abstract
An optical amplifier with a flattened wideband response is obtained by coupling counter-propagating pumping energy into an optical waveguide to cause Raman amplification in the optical waveguide, and by reflecting an amplified signal received from the optical waveguide into an output waveguide using a reflector having a spectral characteristic that is complementary to the spectral gain characteristic of the Raman amplification.
Claims12
An optical amplifier comprising:
- an optical waveguide having a first end and a second end, wherein a signal is received through the first end, is amplified by Raman amplification as it propagates within the optical waveguide from the first end to the second end, and is transmitted through the second end;
- a pumping energy source optically coupled to the optical waveguide to provide pumping energy that causes the Raman amplification to have a spectral gain characteristic;
- and
- a reflector having an input optically coupled to the second end of the optical waveguide and having an output, wherein the reflector receives the amplified signal through the input and reflects it through the output, and wherein the reflector has a continuous response property that is complementary to the spectral gain characteristic of the Raman amplification for modifying the amplified signal.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.