Coherent optical channel substitution
OwnerMichael George Taylorinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In an optical data transmission system, one channel is removed from a group of wavelength division multiplexed optical channels and another channel carrying different information at the same wavelength is inserted in its place. The process occurs by adding an optical signal whose electric field is the difference between the electric field of the new and old channels. The difference calculation takes into account the phase of the incoming WDM channel and phase of the laser source of the difference signal. The method has applications in optical transmission networks as add-drop nodes and optical regenerators, for generation of high bandwidth optical signals, and for secret optical communications.
Claims30
An optical communications system receiving an input optical signal and producing an output optical signal, said optical communications system comprising:
- a combining means for receiving the input optical signal and an add optical signal, said combining means combining the input optical signal and add optical signal such that the input optical signal and the add optical signal coherently interfere to form the output optical signal;
- wherein the light source of the add optical signal is not the light source for the input optical signal, and the optical spectrum of the add optical signal has substantial magnitude at frequencies where the optical spectrum of the input optical signal has substantial magnitude;
- and
- the combining means sending the output optical signal;
- whereby said output optical signal contains information.
A method of producing an output optical signal from an input optical signal, said method comprising the step of:
- coherently interfering said input optical signal with an add optical signal, the light source for the add optical signal being a different light source to the light source for the input optical signal, and the optical spectrum of the add optical signal having a substantially similar shape to the optical spectrum of the input optical signal;
- whereby the output optical signal contains information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.