Apparatus and method utilizing a rotating waveplate for reducing polarization dependent hole-burning in an amplified optical transmission system
US5309535A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 30, 1993 |
| Grant date | May 3, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 30, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04B10/532
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A technique for reducing signal degradation and fading within a long optical transmission by utilizing a rotating waveplate arrangement to rotate the SOP of an optical signal launched into the transmission system, and thereby minimize polarization dependent hole-burning ("PDHB"). This effectively reduces the degree of polarization of the launched optical signal, without degrading the noise and dispersion characteristics of the signal. The rate of waveplate rotation is chosen to ensure that the SOP of the launched signal does not remain at a particular SOP long enough to anisotropically saturate any optical amplifier employed within the transmission system, and give rise to PDHB.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.