Abstract:
In an optically amplified multi-wavelength optical fiber communication system (e.g., 80), deleterious effects due to channel addition/removal can be reduced or avoided if the optical amplifiers (80) are "overpumped", that is to say, the system is selected such that at least 70%, preferably 90% or more, of the pump power that is introduced into the amplifier fiber is unabsorbed in the amplifier fiber.
Abstract:
In one embodiment, an optical transmitter (40), which has a modulator (44) disposed between an pair of optical amplifiers (45, 46), exhibits reduced carrier-to-noise ratio and relatively high powers. In another embodiment, an optical amplifier (45) is disposed between the laser carrier source (42) and the modulator (44), but the post-modulator amplifier (46) is omitted. Application of the transmitters to analog systems (e.g., CATV) and digital systems is described.
Abstract:
A low noise optical fiber Raman amplifier (FRA) comprises an upstream and a downstream length (23, 24) of silica-based amplifier fiber, of combined length >200 m, typically >1 km, with an optical isolator (25) disposed between the upstream and downstream lengths of amplifier fiber such that passage of backscattered signal radiation from the latter to the former is substantially blocked. In preferred embodiments counter-propagating pump radiation is coupled into the downstream length of amplifier fiber, and wavelength-selective means (26, 27) are provided for shunting the pump radiation around the optical isolator. The described FRA is advantageously incorporated into optical fiber communication systems. Exemplarily it can serve as power amplifier, as pre-amplifier, or as in-line amplifier. For instance, it can be used to replace conventional opto-electronic repeaters in existing 1.3µm fiber communication systems, or it can be used as power amplifier in a multi-subscriber optical fiber CATV system. In a still further exemplary embodiment, the FRA is used as a distributed pre-amplifier in a remotely pumped fiber communication system.
Abstract:
A high speed optical communication system (≥ 10Gbit/s) is compensated for temperature variation by providing it with one or more automatic dispersion compensation modules (20). Each module (20) has an adjustable dispersion element (30), a data integrity monitor (31) and a feedback network (32) whereby the monitor (31) adjusts the dispersion element (30) to compensate for temperature variation. In a preferred embodiment the dispersion compensating modules comprise chirped fiber Bragg gratings in which the chirp is induced in the grating by passing a current along distributed thin film heaters deposited along the length of the fiber. The magnitude of the applied current determines the dispersion of the grating. A data integrity monitor is configured to sense the integrity of transmitted data and to provide electrical feedback for controlling the current applied to the grating.
Abstract:
An optical fiber communication system (40) according to the invention comprises an optical fiber filter that can be manufactured at low cost and that can be conveniently incorporated into the system, substantially like a conventional fiber jumper. The filter comprises a length L of axially uniform optical fiber selected to have substantially no loss (e.g., 1 , and to have relatively high loss (e.g.,> 20dB) at a wavelength λ 2 . The length L will typically be less than 100 m. In one embodiment the optical fiber is a single mode optical fiber at λ 1 (e.g., 1.3µm) that does not have a guided mode at λ 2 (e.g., 1.55µm). In another embodiment the fiber contains a dopant that does substantially not absorb radiation of wavelength λ 1 , but substantially absorbs at λ 2 . In the second embodiment, λ 1 can be greater than λ 2 . Fiber filters according to the invention can be advantageously used in a variety of communication systems, and exemplary systems are disclosed.