Patent · US Expired

Optical fiber amplifier

US6392788B1 · kind B1 · utility

9Cited by
6References
5Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 20, 1998
Grant dateMay 21, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 20, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01S2301/04
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optical fiber amplifier including a first optical fiber doped with erbium and phosphorous, for amplifying signal light excited by the erbium, a second optical fiber connected to one end of the first optical fiber, doped with erbium and aluminum, and having a gain spectrum slope opposite to the first optical fiber according to population inversion of the erbium, for amplifying signal light output by the first optical fiber, a pumping laser source connected to another end of the first optical fiber, for exciting the erbium of the first and second optical fibers, and a light coupler for coupling pumping light from the pumping laser source to the signal light and outputting the resultant light to the first optical fiber. Two types of EDFs (erbium doped fibers) having different gain spectrums are used, such that the gain spectrum of each of the EDFs actively varies with the input signal light power or pumping light power. Thus, an entirely flat gain is kept.

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