System and method for wide band Raman amplification
AssigneeXtera Communications, Inc.
InventorsMohammed N. Islam, Carl A. Dewilde
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Abstract
A multi-stage Raman amplifier includes a first Raman amplifier stage having a first sloped gain profile operable to amplify a plurality of signal wavelengths, and a second Raman amplifier stage having a second sloped gain profile operable to amplify at least most of the plurality of signal wavelengths after those wavelengths have been amplified by the first stage. The second sloped gain profile is approximately complementary slope to the slope of the first sloped gain profile. The combined effect of the first and second Raman stages contributes to an approximately flat overall gain profile over the plurality of signal wavelengths.
Claims45
A multi-stage optical amplifier, comprising:
- a first Raman amplifier stage operable to amplify a plurality of signal wavelengths, the first Raman stage having a gain profile wherein a majority of shorter signal wavelengths are amplified more than a majority of longer signal wavelengths;
- and
- a second Raman amplifier stage coupled to the first Raman amplifier stage and operable to amplify at least most of the plurality of signal wavelengths after those wavelengths have been amplified by the first stage, the second Raman stage having a gain profile wherein a majority of the longer signal wavelengths are amplified more than a majority of the shorter signal wavelengths;
- wherein an overall gain profile for the amplifier over the at least a portion of the plurality of signal wavelengths is approximately flat.
A method of amplifying an optical signal having multiple wavelengths, the method comprising:
- amplifying a plurality of signal wavelengths at a first Raman amplifier stage having a gain profile wherein a majority of shorter signal wavelengths are amplified more than a majority of longer signal wavelengths;
- and
- amplifying at least most of the plurality of signal wavelengths at a second Raman amplifier stage after those signal wavelengths have been amplified by the first stage, the second Raman amplifier stage having a gain profile wherein a majority of the longer signal wavelengths are amplified more than a majority of the shorter signal wavelengths;
- wherein an overall gain profile for the amplifier over the at least a portion of the plurality of signal wavelengths is approximately flat.
An optical amplification system, comprising:
- a plurality of optical amplifiers coupled to an optical communication link, each operable to receive at least a majority of a plurality of wavelength signals, wherein the plurality of optical amplifiers comprises:
- a first Raman amplifier comprising a gain profile wherein a majority of shorter wavelength signals are amplified more than a majority of longer wavelength signals;
- and
- a second Raman amplifier comprising a gain profile wherein a majority of longer wavelength signals are amplified more than a majority of shorter wavelength signals;
- wherein an overall gain profile for the plurality of wavelength signals after traversing the optical link is approximately flat over at least a portion of the plurality of wavelength signals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.