Optical fibre amplifier having a controlled gain
US6259556A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 31, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jul 10, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 31, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S3/0078
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An optical fiber amplifier for WDM-signals comprises an active optical fiber pumped with pumping light from a pump source. In order to give the amplifier a constant gain for the WDM-signals irrespectively of the number of active WDM-signals an additional light source is arranged to inject, when required, extra light into the active optical fiber, at least in a portion thereof, through a power combiner. The injected light has a wavelength different from that of the WDM-channels and preferably longer so that it will not cause an amplifying or pumping effect in the active optical fiber but so that it still can be amplified in the active fiber. The light source is controlled by a signal derived from an output power measurement device so that it will inject extra light when a WDM-channel becomes inactive. The power of the extra light is thus selected to saturate the optical fiber amplifier at a constant gain irrespectively of the number of signal channels, i.e. of the total power of the input light signals. A light filter can be connected to the output end of the active optical fiber to block light having a wavelength corresponding to the wavelength of the light issued from the light so…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.