Apparatus and method for controlling gain profile of an optical amplifier
US8995048B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 22, 2011 |
| Grant date | Mar 31, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 22, 2033 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S2301/04
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A change in loading conditions of fiber amplifiers in an optical communications network causes rapid variations in the gain profile of the amplifiers due to spectral hole burning and stimulated Raman scattering. An apparatus for reducing such gain profile variations is described which monitors optical signal perturbations and reacts by adjusting pump powers of the amplifiers and, or fast variable optical attenuator according to a pre-determined function stored in the form of constants in controller's memory. The optical signal is monitored as total power, and the power of light after passing through one or more optical filters. The light detection is relatively fast, whereby the gain profile variations are compensated by fast controlled variable optical attenuator and pump power adjustment upon the change in loading conditions.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.