High efficiency raman amplifier

An amplifier apparatus, comprising:

• an optical transmission line comprising an input to receive an input optical signal comprising wavelengths over range of at least 30 nanometers, an output that passes an output optical signal and a Raman amplification region of the optical transmission line, the Raman amplification region comprising a Raman amplification region input and a Raman amplification region output, wherein each of the Raman amplification region input and the Raman amplification region output comprise a coupling loss of no more than one (1) decibel, and wherein the Raman amplification region comprises an attenuation of no more than one (1) decibel per kilometer for at least one of the wavelengths of the input optical signal;
• a laser diode pump source coupled to the optical transmission line, the input optical signal being amplified in the Raman amplification region such that the output signal has at least 100 mW more power than the output signal would have without the amplification in the Raman amplification region, wherein he Raman amplification region comprises a cut-off wavelength that is shorter than a pump signal wavelength generated by the laser diode pump source;
• and
• wherein at least a combination of a selection of the coupling losses, the attenuation, and the cut-off wavelength associated with the Raman amplification region operate to provide a pump to signal power conversion efficiency of at least 20% for the Raman amplification region.

An amplifier system, comprising:

• at least 32 signal sources coupled to produce an input optical signal comprising wavelengths over a range of at least 30 nanometers, at least a portion of the signal sources producing signals of different wavelengths;
• an optical transmission line coupled to the signal sources comprising an input to receive an input optical signal, an output that passes an output signal and a Raman amplification region of the optical transmission line, the Raman amplification region comprising a Raman amplification region input and a Raman amplification region output, wherein each of the Raman amplification region input and the Raman amplification region output comprise a coupling loss of no more than one (1) decibel, and wherein the Raman amplification region comprises an attenuation of no more than one (1) decibel per kilometer for at least one of the wavelengths of the input optical signal;
• a pump source couple to the optical transmission line, the input optical signal being amplified in the Raman amplification region such that the output optical signal has at least 100 mW more power than the input optical signal, wherein the Raman amplification region comprises a cut-off wavelength that is shorter than a pump signal wavelength generated by the pump source;
• and
• wherein at least a combination of a selection of the coupling losses, the attenuation, and the cut-off wavelength associated with the Raman amplification region operate to provide a pump to signal power conversion efficiency of at least 20% for the Raman amplification region.

An amplifier system, comprising:

• at least 32 signal sources coupled to produce an input optical signal over a wavelength range of at least 30 nm, at least a portion of the signal sources producing signals of different wavelengths;
• an optical transmission line coupled to the signal sources comprising an input to receive an input optical signal, an output that passes an output optical signal and a Raman amplification region of the optical transmission line, the Raman amplification region comprising a Raman amplification region input and the Raman amplification region output, wherein each of the Raman amplification region input and the Raman amplificationregion output comprise a coupling loss of no more than one (1) decibel, and wherein the Raman amplification region comprises an attenuation of no more than one (1) decibel per kilometer for at least one of the wavelengths of the input optical signal;
• a pump source couple to the optical transmission line, the input optical signal being amplified in the Raman amplification region such that the output signal has at least 100 mW more power than the output signal would have without the amplification in the Raman amplification region, wherein he Raman amplification region comprises a cut-off wavelength that is shorter than a pump signal wavelength generated by the pump source;
• and
• wherein at least a combination of a selection of the coupling losses, the attenuation, and the cut-off wavelength associated with the Raman amplification region operate to provide a pump to signal power conversion efficiency of at least 20% for the Raman amplification region.

A method of amplifying an optical signal with multiple wavelengths over at least a 30 nm range of wavelengths, comprising:

• introducing an input optical signal comprising wavelengths ranging over at least 30 nanometers to an amplifier apparatus including a Raman amplification, the Raman amplification region comprising a Raman amplification region input and a Raman amplification region output, wherein each of the Raman amplification region input and the Raman amplification region output comprise a coupling loss of no more than one (1) decibel, wherein the Raman amplification region comprise an attenuation of no more than one (1) decibel per kilometer for at least one of the wavelength of the input optical signal, and wherein the Raman amplification region comprises a cut off wavelength that is shorter than a pump signal wavelength received by the Raman amplification region;
• amplifying the input optical signal such that a signal output from the Raman amplification region has at least 100 mW more power than the input signal;
• and
• wherein at least a combination of a selection of the coupling losses, the attenuation, and the cut-off wavelength associated with the Raman amplification region operate to provide a pump to signal power conversion efficiency of at least 20% for the Raman amplification region.

A method of amplifying an optical signal, comprising:

• introducing an input optical signal comprising wavelengths ranging over at least 30 nanometers to an amplifier apparatus including a Raman amplification region, the Raman amplification region comprising a Raman amplification region input and a Raman amplification region output, wherein each of the Raman amplification region input and the Raman amplification region output comprise a coupling loss of no more than one (1) decibel, and wherein the Raman amplification region comprises an attenuation of no more than one (1) decibel per kilometer for at least one of the wavelengths of the input optical signal;
• pumping the Raman amplification region with at least one diode laser pump source, wherein the Raman amplification ion region comprises a cut off wavelength that is shorter than a pump signal wavelength generated by the at least one laser pump source;
• amplifying the input optical signal such that a signal output from the Raman amplification region has at least 100 mW more power than the output signal would have without the amplification in the Raman amplification region;
• and
• wherein at least a combination of a selection of the coupling losses, the attenuation, and the cut-off wavelength associated with the Raman amplification region operate to provide a pump to signal power conversion efficiency of at least 20% for the Raman amplification region.

A method of amplifying an optical signal, comprising:

• introducing an optic signal comprising wavelengths ranging over at least 30 nanometers to an amplifier apparatus including a Raman amplification region, the Raman amplification region comprising a Raman amplification region input and a Raman amplification region output, wherein each of the Raman amplification region input and the Raman amplification region output comprise a coupling loss of no more than one (1) decibel;
• pumping the amplified apparatus with at least a first pump beam, wherein the Raman amplification region comprise a cut off wavelength that is shorter than a pump signal wavelength of the first pump beam;
• introducing at least 32 signals into the amplifier as an input optical signal, wherein the Raman amplification region comprises an attenuation of no more than one (1) decibel per kilometer for at least one of the wavelengths of the input optical signal;
• amplifying the input optical signal in the Raman amplification region;
• producing an output signal with at least 100 mW more power than the output signal would have without the amplification in the Raman amplification region;
• and
• wherein at least a combination of a selection of the coupling losses, the attenuation, and the cut-off wavelength associated with the Raman amplification region operate to provide a pump to signal power conversion efficiency of at least 20% for the Raman amplification region.