Switchable-gain optical amplifier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10666011-B2
Application number	US-201715620048-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 12, 2017
Priority date	Dec 20, 2013
Publication date	May 26, 2020
Grant date	May 26, 2020

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for optical communications. In one aspect, an optical amplifier includes an input port, a wavelength division multiplexing fiber coupled to a pump source and to a bar-cross switch, a first gain stage optically coupled between a first port of the bar-cross switch and to an output port, the first gain stage including a first gain flattening filter, and a secondary gain stage optically coupled between a second port and a third port of the bar-cross switch, the secondary gain stage including a second gain flattening filter. When in a bar-state of the bar-cross switch, the secondary gain stage is bypassed. And when in a cross-state of the bar-cross switch, the secondary gain stage and the first gain stage are applied to an input light beam.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical amplifier, comprising:
an input port;
a wavelength division multiplexing fiber coupled to a pump source and to a bar-cross switch;
a first gain stage optically coupled between a first port of the bar-cross switch and to an output port, the first gain stage including a first gain flattening filter;
a secondary gain stage optically coupled between a second port and a third port of the bar-cross switch, the secondary gain stage including a second gain flattening filter, wherein in a bar-state of the bar-cross switch the secondary gain stage is bypassed, and in a cross-state of the bar-cross switch, the secondary gain stage and the first gain stage are applied to an input light beam;
an input photodiode for detecting an input signal power;
an output photodiode for detecting an output signal power; and
electrical communications lines for providing measurements of the input photodiode and the output photodiode to a controller, wherein the controller is to use the measurements to control one or more pump sources as well as the switch state of the bar-cross switch.

2. The optical amplifier of claim 1 , wherein the first gain flattening filter uses fiber Bragg gratings.

Assignees

• Molex Llc

Inventors

• Wang Chiachi
• Gong Lifu
• Qiao Lijie
• Guan Weihua

Classifications

• H01S2301/04

  Gain spectral shaping, flattening · CPC title

• H01S3/06758

  Tandem amplifiers · CPC title

• H01S3/06754

  Fibre amplifiers (H01S3/06708 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01S3/10015 Primary

  by monitoring or controlling, e.g. attenuating, the input signal · CPC title

• G02B6/35

  having switching means (by changing the optical properties of the medium G02F1/00) · CPC title