Method and apparatus for suppressing stimulated brillouin scattering in fiber links
US6661814B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 31, 2002 |
| Grant date | Dec 9, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 31, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S5/141
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Method and apparatus for producing a laser output having stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) suppression characteristics. An excitation signal is provided to an optical path length adjustment element in an external cavity laser to modulate the optical path length of the cavity. This produces a laser output having a wavelength modulation frequency and line width that are a function of the frequency and amplitude of the excitation signal. Under appropriate modulation frequency and line width combinations, the laser output comprises an optical signal with SBS suppression characteristics, thus enabling a higher power signal to be launched into a fiber link since the SBS suppression characteristics raise the SBS threshold of the link. The optical path length modulation also produces an intensity (amplitude) modulation in the laser output. A detector is employed to produce a feedback signal indicative of the intensity modulation that is used for tuning the laser in accordance with a wavelength locking servo loop.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.