Rare earth-doped fiber amplifier with integral optical metrology functionality
US9503181B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 6, 2015 |
| Grant date | Nov 22, 2016 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 8, 2035 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04B10/503
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A doped fiber amplifier (e.g., an erbium-doped fiber amplifier—EDFA) module is configured to include metrology functionality for performing real-time measurements of the fiber spans connected to the EDFA. In one embodiment, a separate component utilized to perform optical time domain reflectometry (OTDR) measurements is embedded with the EDFA module. The OTDR measurement component includes its own laser source and detector, which are used to analyze the input and output fiber spans associated with the EDFA. In another embodiment, the pump laser of the EDFA is also used as the optical probe light source for the OTDR component, where the source is either “switched” or “shared” between performing amplification and providing OTDR measurements. In yet another embodiment, a “dual pump” source is included with the OTDR component itself and modified to utilize one laser for amplification and the other for OTDR purposes.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.