All-optical, tunable regenerator, reshaper and wavelength converter

A method for regenerating a plurality of optical signals comprising:

• counter-propagating each of the optical signals with a separate continuous wavelength (CW) signal, wherein each of the separate CW signals has a different wavelength;
• creating a separate chirped output signal for each of the plurality of the optical signals, wherein each chirped output signal has bits that correspond to the “1” bits in a corresponding optical signal;
• and
• filtering signals to pass only the separate chirped output signals and to block the CW signals.

A system for regenerating optical signals comprising:

• a semi-conductor optical amplifier (SOA) coupled to an input optical signal;
• a continuous wavelength (CW) laser coupled to the SOA, wherein a CW signal from the laser and the input optical signal counter-propagate in the SOA in a cross-gain mode to generate an output signal;
• and
• a filter coupled to the SOA and that passes the output signal and blocks the CW signal.

A system for regenerating optical signals comprising:

• a continuous wavelength (CW) laser;
• an electro-absorption modulator (EAM) coupled to the CW laser, wherein a CW optical signal from the CW laser and an input optical signal counter-propagate in the EAM to create a chirped output signal;
• and
• a filter coupled to the EAM wherein the filter passes the chirped output signal and blocks the CW optical signal.

A system for simultaneously regenerating a plurality of optical signals comprising:

• a separate semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) for receiving each of the plurality of optical signals;
• a separate continuous wavelength (CW) laser coupled to each of the separate SOAs, each of the CW lasers providing a CW signal that counter-propagates with one of the optical signals in the SOA to produce a chirped output signal;
• and
• an interleaver that receives the chirped output signal from each of the SOAs, wherein the interleaver passes each of the chirped output signals and blocks each of the CW signals.

An optical network comprising:

• one or more incoming optical fibers connected to an optical regeneration device;
• the optical regeneration device comprising:
• a plurality of semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA) for receiving a plurality of incoming optical signals on the one or more incoming optical fibers, wherein individual incoming optical signals are directed to each of the SOAs;
• a separate continuous wavelength (CW) laser coupled to each of the SOAs, each of the CW lasers providing a CW signal that counter-propagates with the individual incoming optical signal in the SOA to produce a chirped output signal;
• and
• an interleaver that receives the chirped output signals from each of the SOAs;
• and
• one or more outgoing optical fibers connected to the interleaver, wherein the chirped output signals are passed to the one or more outgoing optical fibers by the interleaver and the CW signals are blocked from the outgoing optical fibers by the interleaver.

A system for regenerating optical signals comprising:

• means for counter-propagating the optical signal and a continuous wavelength (CW) signal;
• means for creating a chirped output signal having bits that correspond to the “1” bits in the optical signal;
• and
• means for filtering signals to a pass the chirped output signal and to block the CW signal.