Gain-controllable optical amplifier and optical gain-control method
US5710660A · kind A · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 26, 1996 |
| Grant date | Jan 20, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 26, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S2301/02
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
This invention provides an optical amplifier which has low noise characteristics for a wide range of input signal electric power. The optical amplifier has a plurality of cascaded optical amplifying units, a signal level detector, and a pump-source controller. The pump-source controller changes controlling objects from a pump-source corresponding to a first one of the optical amplifying units to a pump-source corresponding to a second one of the optical amplifying units according to a detection level of the signal level detector from a low level to a high level. When the detection level is outside of a control object range, the optical amplifier controls an output from the pump-source to stabilize. When the detection level is within the control object range, the optical amplifier controls an output from a pump-source of each of optical amplifying units according to the detection level.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.