Single parameter gain slope adjuster for an optical system
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorsPeter G. Wigley, Kai Wundke
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical device including an optical amplifier to amplify optical signals received through an optical input, and to supply the amplified optical signals from an optical output, and an optical filter coupled to the optical amplifier. The optical filter changes the gain slope of the optical amplifier in response to a change in a single parameter of the optical filter. The single parameter may be a change in a central wavelength of the optical filter function. The optical filter preferably has a parabolic spectral function. The single parameter may be varied as a function of temperature such that the variable optical attenuator compensates for variations in the gain spectrum of the optical amplifier that occur as a function of operating temperature.
Claims39
An optical device having an optical input and output for use in a communication system operating within a communication band, said optical device comprising:
- an optical amplifier to amplify optical signals received through the optical input of the device, said optical amplifier exhibiting a gain that varies approximately linearly with respect to wavelength in accordance with a gain slope;
- and
- a tunable optical filter coupled to said optical amplifier, said optical filter changes the gain slope of said optical amplifier in response to a change in a single parameter of said optical filter, wherein said optical filter exhibits a pseudo-parabolic insertion loss function having a substantially non-linear region falling within the communication band.
An optical device having an optical input and output, said optical device comprising:
- an optical amplifier to amplify optical signals received through the optical input of the device, said optical amplifier exhibiting a gain that varies approximately linearly with respect to wavelength in accordance with a gain slope;
- and
- a tunable optical filter coupled to said optical amplifier, said optical filter changes the gain slope of said optical amplifier in response to a change in a single parameter of said optical filter, wherein said optical filter has a pseudo-parabolic insertion loss function,
- wherein said optical filter is a Mach-Zehnder interferometer and the single parameter that is changed is a relative phase accumulation between two arms of said Mach-Zehnder interferometer.
An optical device having an optical input and output for use in a communication system operating within a communication band, said optical device comprising:
- an optical amplifier to optical signals received through the optical input of the device, said optical amplifier exhibiting a gain that varies approximately linearly with respect to wavelength in accordance with a gain slope;
- and
- a tunable optical filter coupled to said optical amplifier, wherein said optical filter has a spectral filter function that is substantially symmetric about a central wavelength falling within the communication band, and said optical filter changes the gain slope of the optical amplifier in response to a change in the central wavelength.
A method of adjusting the gain slope of an optical device that operates within an operating waveband, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) coupling a tunable optical filter to the optical device, the optical filter having a spectral filter function that is substantially non-linear throughout the operating waveband of the optical device and defines a central wavelength falling within the operating waveband;
- and
- (b) adjusting the central wavelength of the optical filter until a desired gain slope adjustment results.
An optical device having an optical input and output, said optical device comprising:
- an optical amplifier to optical signals received through the optical input of the device, said optical amplifier exhibiting a gain that varies approximately linearly with respect to wavelength in accordance with a gain slope;
- and
- a tunable optical filter coupled to said optical amplifier, wherein said optical filter has a spectral filter function that is substantially symmetric about a central wavelength, and said optical filter changes the gain slope of the optical amplifier in response to a change in the central wavelength,
- wherein said optical filter is a Mach-Zehnder interferometer and the single parameter that is changed is a relative phase accumulation between two arms of said Mach-Zehnder interferometer.
A method of adjusting the gain slope of an optical device, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) coupling a tunable optical filter to the optical device, the optical filter having a spectral filter function that is substantially non-linear throughout the operating waveband of the optical device and defines a central wavelength;
- and
- (b) adjusting the central wavelength of the optical filter until a desired gain slope adjustment results,
- wherein the optical filter is a Mach-Zehnder interferometer and the central wavelength that is adjusted in step (b) is a relative phase accumulation between two arms of said Mach-Zehnder interferometer.
An optical filter for an optical device that exhibits at least two different gain states and that operates within an operating waveband, said optical filter comprising a tunable filter component that changes its spectral filter function at least two different states corresponding to the at least two different gain states of the optical device in response to a change in a single parameter of said optical filter, wherein the spectral filter function of said tunable filter component is substantially non-linear throughout the operating waveband of the optical device and defines a central wavelength falling within the operating waveband, and wherein said single parameter is the central wavelength.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.