Patent · US Expired

Optical amplifier for wavelength multiplex transmission

US6151159A · kind A · utility

4Cited by
3References
7Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 18, 1998
Grant dateNov 21, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 18, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01S3/06754
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An optical amplifier for wavelength multiplex transmission is capable of reducing the gain difference of each wavelength. A pumping light source generates pumping lights to excite an optical fiber for amplification for amplifying wavelength multiplexed optical signals, a wavelength optical multiplexer inserts these pumping lights to the optical fiber for amplification, an optical coupler branches the optical signals amplified by the optical fiber for amplification, and a wavelength separator separates the branched optical signals into ASE and signal lights. A photo receiver detects the strength of separated ASE, a photo detector detects the strength of signal light. A strength level comparator/pumping light source controller controls the output of the pumping light source, based on the strength detected by the photo detector so that the output level of the optical signal is set arbitrary. Therefore, by controlling the output level of the pumping light source, it is capable of setting the amplification factor of suitable gain flatness.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.