Optical amplifier system with transient control
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An optical amplifier that amplifies optical signals at different wavelengths in a fiber-optic communications link comprising:
- an input fiber;
an output fiber;
at least one rare-earth-doped fiber;
at least one pump that optically pumps the rare-earth-doped fiber to provide optical gain for the optical signals;
input and output taps for monitoring the optical signals; and
a controller that uses the input and output taps to monitor input power and gain in the amplifier and that controls the pump to prevent gain transients using a sum of one pump power contribution that is based on the monitored input power and another pump power contribution that is based on the monitored gain.
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Abstract
Optical amplifiers are provided that use a hybrid transient control scheme. Optical taps may be used to tap the main fiber path through the amplifier before and after the gain stage. The gain stage may be provided by one or more rare-earth-doped fiber coils such as erbium-doped fiber coils. The coils may be pumped by laser diodes or other suitable pumps. The optical output power of the pumps may be controlled by a controller. The controller may calculate the appropriate power to be applied by the pumps based on the measured input and output signal powers of the amplifier. The control process implemented by the controller may be based on a combination of feedback and feed-forward control techniques.
45 Citations
26 Claims
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1. An optical amplifier that amplifies optical signals at different wavelengths in a fiber-optic communications link comprising:
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an input fiber;
an output fiber;
at least one rare-earth-doped fiber;
at least one pump that optically pumps the rare-earth-doped fiber to provide optical gain for the optical signals;
input and output taps for monitoring the optical signals; and
a controller that uses the input and output taps to monitor input power and gain in the amplifier and that controls the pump to prevent gain transients using a sum of one pump power contribution that is based on the monitored input power and another pump power contribution that is based on the monitored gain. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A fiber-optic communications link that handles optical signals at different wavelengths including:
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a transmitter and a receiver;
a plurality of fiber spans for transmitting optical signals between the transmitter and receiver; and
a plurality of optical amplifiers, each of which is located between two of the fiber spans and each of which has;
an input fiber that receives the optical signals from a first of the two fiber spans;
an output fiber that provides amplified optical signals to a second of the two fiber spans;
at least one rare-earth-doped fiber;
at least one pump that optically pumps the rare-earth-doped fiber to provide optical gain for the optical signals;
input and output taps for monitoring the optical signals; and
a controller that uses the input and output taps to monitor input power and gain in the amplifier and that controls the pump to prevent gain transients using a sum of one pump power contribution that is based on the monitored input power and another pump power contribution that is based on the monitored gain. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for controlling gain transients in a rare-earth-doped fiber amplifier having an optical gain, wherein the rare-earth-doped fiber amplifier is pumped using a pump laser and wherein the rare-earth-doped fiber amplifier amplifies optical signals that are provided to an input and provides corresponding amplified optical signals at an output, comprising:
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monitoring optical signal input power at the input of the rare-earth-doped fiber amplifier;
monitoring the optical gain of the rare-earth-doped fiber amplifier;
calculating one pump power contribution based on the monitored input power;
calculating another pump power contribution based on the monitored optical gain;
calculating the pump power for the pump laser based on the sum of the calculated pump power contributions; and
driving the pump laser at the calculated pump power. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
calculating the gain of the amplifier using the monitored input power and a monitored output power; and
using the proportional-integral-derivative method and the calculated gain to calculate the pump power contribution that is based on the monitored gain.
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25. The method defined in claim 19 wherein calculating the pump power contribution that is based on the monitored gain further comprises calculating a gain error parameter.
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26. The method defined in claim 19 wherein the rare-earth-doped fiber amplifier comprises an erbium-doped fiber amplifier.
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Current AssigneeII-VI Delaware, Inc. (Coherent Corp.)
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Original AssigneeOnetta, Inc. (Oclaro (North America), Inc.)
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InventorsYe, Jun, Lu, Yen-Wen, Cao, Yu
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Primary Examiner(s)Tarcza, Thomas H.
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Assistant Examiner(s)Sommer, Andrew R.
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Application NumberUS09/711,923Time in Patent Office594 DaysField of Search359/337.1, 359/337.11, 359/341.41, 359/341.4, 359/341.42US Class Current359/341.41CPC Class CodesH01S 2301/04 Gain spectral shaping, flat...H01S 3/06754 Fibre amplifiers H01S3/0670...H01S 3/10015 by monitoring or controllin...H01S 3/13013 by controlling the optical ...H04B 10/296 Transient power control, e....
