Per-channel optical amplification using saturation mode
AssigneeTellabs Operations, Inc.
InventorsChaoyu Yue, Paul Green
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical communication system includes a plurality of optical channels, each of which passes a single optical wavelength signal. Each of the plurality of optical channels includes an optical amplifier which is controlled to operate at a predetermined output power level independent of channel wavelength and input power level by operating each optical amplifier in a saturation mode. Pumping power for operating each optical amplifier in the saturation mode is supplied from shared optical pumps or a plurality of one per channel optical pumps.
Claims19
A method of operating at least one optical node, comprising the steps of:
- applying optical wavelength signals to inputs of respective ones of a plurality of optical amplifiers;
- and
- selectively coupling output power of a plurality of optical pumps to selected ones of the optical amplifiers through a coupler, to cause the optical amplifiers to operate in a saturation mode, wherein a saturation level of each optical amplifier is either substantially the same, or different, depending on the output power of each optical pump.
An optical node comprising:
- a plurality of optical amplifiers arranged to influence a power level of corresponding channels within an optical signal;
- a plurality of optical pumps;
- and
- a coupler, arranged to selectively couple output power of the plurality of optical pumps to selected ones of the optical amplifiers, to cause the optical amplifiers to provide an output power level within a saturation mode,
- wherein the output power level of each optical amplifier is either substantially the same, or different, depending on the output power of each optical pump.
A method for operating an optical communication system, comprising the steps of:
- amplifying a power level of each of a plurality of optical channels within at least one optical node of the optical communication system, through a corresponding plurality of optical amplifiers arranged to amplify respective ones of the optical channels;
- and
- selectively controlling the power level of each amplifier so that each optical amplifier operates in a saturation mode,
- wherein the optical amplifiers are arranged in subsets, and the controlling couples at least a portion of power output from each of a plurality of pump sources to each optical amplifier within a same subset.
An optical node, comprising:
- a plurality of optical amplifiers arranged to influence a power level of each of a plurality of optical channels;
- and
- a controller, arranged to selectively control the power level of each optical amplifier so that each optical amplifier operates in a saturation mode,
- wherein the optical amplifiers are arranged in subsets, and the controller couples at least a portion of power output from each of a plurality of pump sources to each optical amplifier within a same subset.
A method for operating an optical communication system having at least one optical node, the method comprising the steps of:
- amplifying a power level of each of a plurality of optical channels of an optical signal through corresponding ones of a plurality of optical amplifiers;
- and
- providing an output of each of a plurality of optical pumps to each optical amplifier of a corresponding one of a plurality of subsets of the optical amplifiers, to cause the optical amplifiers of the corresponding subset to provide a predetermined output power level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.