Method and apparatus for optical amplifier gain and noise figure measurement
US6016213A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 8, 1996 |
| Grant date | Jan 18, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 8, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04B10/07
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An improved method of measurement of noise figure and gain of optical amplifiers is based on transforming the amplifier into an oscillator by applying optical feedback with known loss. The feedback consists of a tunable filter for wavelength control and of a variable attenuator for gain control. Measuring the output power at a given wavelength and the noise characteristics of the output signal, either with an optical spectrum analyzer or with a set of tunable filters and a power meter, provides data for full characterization of the optical amplifier. Another method is disclosed that utilizes the self-heterodyne setup and electrical spectrum analyzer to measure the spectral line width of the lasing amplifier, from which the noise figure is derived.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.