Intra-cavity optical four-wave mixer and optical communications system using the same
US5550671A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 2, 1995 |
| Grant date | Aug 27, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 2, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S3/06754
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
In accordance with the invention, an optical four-wave mixer for producing a phase-conjugated signal comprises a source of optical input signals, a fiber laser for receiving the signals, and a detector for selectively detecting the frequency-shifted signals produced by four-wave mixing. The laser can be a rare-earth doped fiber laser with a fiber cavity phase matched to the input signals. The frequency-shifted output signals have an inverted spectral waveform as compared with the input signals. The mixer can be made in compact form with a cavity length as small as 100 m and can provide inverted signals at the same intensity as the input signals, making the mixer particularly useful for providing spectral inversion in an optical communications system.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.