Optical module, optical transceiver, and method of controlling intensity of light

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024380171-A1
Application number	US-202418645669-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 25, 2024
Priority date	May 12, 2023
Publication date	Nov 14, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

An optical amplifier modulates first light with a first modulation signal having a first frequency, and modulates second light with a second modulation signal having a second frequency. A splitter splits the first light and the second light. A light reception unit outputs an electric signal indicating intensity of light acquired by adding the received first light and the received second light. An intensity detection unit extracts a first component having the first frequency and a second component having the second frequency included in the electric signal, and detects amplitude of each of the first and second components. An amplification control unit monitors intensity of the first light based on amplitude of the first component and intensity of the second light based on amplitude of the second component, and controls amplification of each of the first light and the second light in the optical amplifier.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An optical module comprising:
an optical amplifier configured to modulate first light having a first wavelength with a first modulation signal having a first frequency and amplify the first light, and modulate second light having a second wavelength different from the first wavelength with a second modulation signal having a second frequency different from the first frequency and amplify the second light; a splitter configured to split the first light and the second light being output from the optical amplifier; a light reception unit configured to receive the first light and the second light being split by the splitter, and output an electric signal indicating intensity of light acquired by adding the received first light and the received second light; an intensity detection unit configured to extract a first component having the first frequency being included in the electric signal and a second component having the second frequency being included in the electric signal, and detect amplitude of the first component and amplitude of the second component; and an amplification control unit configured to monitor intensity of the first light, based on amplitude of the first component, monitor intensity of the second light, based on amplitude of the second component, and control amplification of each of the first light and the second light in the optical amplifier, based on a monitoring result.

2 . The optical module according to claim 1 , wherein the amplification control unit controls the optical amplifier in such a way that amplitude of the first component and amplitude of the second component become constant.

3 . The optical module according to claim 1 , wherein the amplification control unit performs initial setting of amplification of each of the first light and the second light in the optical amplifier, based on information held in advance.

4 . The optical module according to claim 1 , wherein the amplification control unit
controls amplification of the first light in the optical amplifier in such a way that intensity of the first light falls within a first range, and controls amplification of the second light in the optical amplifier in such a way that intensity of the second light falls within a second range.

5 . An optical transceiver comprising:
a receiver configured to receive a received first wavelength multiplexed optical signal by interfering with first light having a first wavelength, and output a data signal acquired by demodulating the received signal; a transmitter configured to modulate second light having a second wavelength different from the first wavelength in response to the data signal, and multiplex the modulated optical signal into a second wavelength multiplexed optical signal and output the multiplexed signal; a signal processing unit configured to transfer the data signal being output from the receiver to the transmitter; and an optical module configured to output the first light and the second light, wherein the optical module includes an optical amplifier configured to modulate the first light with a first modulation signal having a first frequency and amplify the first light, and modulate the second light with a second modulation signal having a second frequency different from the first frequency and amplify the second light, a splitter configured to split the first light and the second light being output from the optical amplifier, a light reception unit configured to receive the first light and the second light being split by the splitter, and output an electric signal indicating intensity of light acquired by adding the received first light and the received second light, an intensity detection unit configured to extract a first component having the first frequency being included in the electrical signal and a second component having the second frequency being included in the electric signal, and detect amplitude of the first component and amplitude of the second component, and an amplification control unit configured to monitor intensity of the first light, based on amplitude of the first component, monitor intensity of the second light, based on amplitude of the second component, and control amplification of each of the first light and the second light in the optical amplifier, based on a monitoring result.

6 . A method of controlling intensity of light, comprising:
modulating first light having a first wavelength with a first modulation signal having a first frequency and amplifying the first light, and modulating second light having a second wavelength different from the first wavelength with a second modulation signal having a second frequency different from the first frequency and amplifying the second light; splitting the first light and the second light being modulated and amplified; receiving the first light and the second light being split, and outputting an electric signal indicating intensity of light acquired by adding the received first light and the received second light; extracting a first component having the first frequency being included in the electric signal and a second component having the second frequency being included in the electric signal, and detecting amplitude of the first component and amplitude of the second component; and monitoring intensity of the first light, based on amplitude of the first component, monitoring intensity of the second light, based on amplitude of the second component, and controlling amplification of each of the first light and the second light, based on a monitoring result.

Assignees

• Nec Corp

Inventors

• Fukatsu Kimiyoshi
• Kaneko Taro

Classifications

• H04B10/40

  Transceivers · CPC title

• H04B10/506

  Multiwavelength transmitters · CPC title

• H04B10/07955

  Monitoring or measuring power · CPC title

• H01S5/50

  Amplifier structures not provided for in groups H01S5/02 - H01S5/30 · CPC title

• H01S5/4062

  with an external cavity or using internal filters, e.g. Talbot filters · CPC title