Optical passive components and bi-directional amplifier
AssigneeAvanex Corporation
InventorSimon Cao
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bi-directional polarization independent optical isolator and monitor/amplifier system simultaneously transmits two separate signal rays in opposite forward directions while simultaneously suppressing backward transmission of each signal ray in its respective reverse direction. Both of the counter-propagating signal rays are amplified within an optical gain element. The separate signal rays include either two wavelength bands completely separated in wavelength or two sets of wavelengths, each of a plurality of wavelengths, such that wavelengths of the two signal rays are interspersed in alternating fashion.
Claims7
A method of bi-directional optical amplification of signal rays within an optical communications system, said method comprising:
- simultaneously inputting into each of a first and a second bi-directional polarization independent optical isolator and monitor/amplifier system one of two separate signal rays from a first span and a second span, respectively, of the optical communications system, each of said first and second bi-directional polarization independent optical isolator and monitor/amplifier systems causing simultaneous transmission of the two separate signal rays in opposite forward directions through an optical gain element while simultaneously suppressing backward transmission of each of the two separate signal rays in its respective reverse direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.