Method and device for measuring a noise figure in optical amplifiers
US5677781A · kind A · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 29, 1996 |
| Grant date | Oct 14, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 29, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04B10/07
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and device for automatically and accurately measuring a noise figure of an optical amplifier are disclosed. In the method, light pulses which have different wavelengths .lambda..sub.1 .about..lambda..sub.n and have a period shorter than a time constant of extinction of the optical amplifier are generated. The light pulses thus generate are supplied to the optical amplifier. Powers P.sub.AMP1 .about.P.sub.AMPn of amplified lights outputted from the optical amplifier which correspond to the light pulses and have the wavelength .lambda..sub.1 .about..lambda..sub.n and powers P.sub.ASE1 .about.P.sub.ASEn of lights which have the wavelength .lambda..sub.1 .about..lambda..sub.n and are outputted from the optical amplifier when the amplified lights are not outputted from the optical amplifier are measured. Noise figures NF.sub.1 .about.NF.sub.n at the wavelengths .lambda..sub.1 .about..lambda..sub.n the optical amplifier are calculated according to the following equation. EQU NF.sub.k =(P.sub.ASEk /h.nu..sub.k G.sub.k Bo)+(1/G.sub.k) (k=1.about.n) In the above equation, h is Planck's constant; .nu..sub.k (k=1.about.n) are light frequencies of the light pulses; G.sub.k (k=1.about.…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.