Optical amplifier device

• US 7,057,802 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2001
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimizu, Katsuhiro, Kajiya, Satoshi, Itoh, Takahiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner, Mark
• Application Number:
  US10/069,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20030137721A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,807 Days
• Field of Search: 359/337.1, 359/337.11
• US Class Current: 359/337.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0683 by monitoring the optical output parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/50 Amplifier structures not provided for in groups H01S5/02 - H01S5/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/2931 using AGC H04B10/294 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/2942 using automatic gain control [AGC] H04B10/296 takes precedence

Abstract

The optical amplifier apparatus comprises an optical amplifier (3) which amplifies an input signal light, an output detecting unit (5) which detects an output level of the optical amplifier, an output control unit (6) which controls an output level of the optical amplifier according to an output level detected by the output detecting unit (5), a gain inclination detecting unit (7) which detects a gain inclination relating to a wavelength of the optical amplifier, and a gain inclination control unit (8) which controls a gain inclination of the optical amplifier (3) according to a gain inclination detected by the gain inclination detecting unit (7).

Claims

1. An optical amplifier apparatus comprising:

an optical amplifier which amplifies an input signal light;

an output detecting unit which detects an unfiltered output level of said optical amplifier;

an output control unit which controls an output level of said optical amplifier according to an output level detected by said output detecting unit;

a gain inclination detecting unit which detects a gain inclination relating to a wavelength of said optical amplifier; and

a gain inclination control unit which controls a gain inclination of said optical amplifier according to a gain inclination detected by said gain inclination detecting unit.

2. The optical amplifier apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said gain inclination detecting unit branches a wavelength-multiplexed signal light, and detects a gain inclination from optical signal levels of a shortest wave and a longest wave.

3. The optical amplifier apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said gain inclination detecting unit branches a wavelength-multiplexed signal light, and detects a gain inclination from optical signal levels of three or more waves.

4. The optical amplifier apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said optical amplifier apparatus inputs a wavelength-multiplexed signal light having mutually different frequency components superimposed on optical signals of a shortest wave and a longest wave respectively, and said gain inclination detecting unit detects frequency components superimposed on the optical signals of respective wavelengths thereby to detect a gain inclination.

5. The optical amplifier apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said optical amplifier apparatus inputs a wavelength-multiplexed signal light having mutually different frequency components superimposed on optical signals of three or more waves respectively, and said gain inclination detecting unit detects frequency components superimposed on the optical signals thereby to detect a gain inclination.

6. An optical amplifier apparatus comprising:

an optical amplifier which amplifies an input wavelength-multiplexed signal light;

an optical variable attenuator which attenuates an output signal light of said optical amplifier;

an output detecting unit which detects an output level at an output side of said optical variable attenuator;

an output control unit which controls the attenuation of an output signal light attenuated by said optical variable attenuator according to an output level detected by said output detecting unit;

a gain inclination detecting unit which detects a gain inclination relating to a wavelength of said optical amplifier; and

a gain inclination control unit which controls a gain inclination by adjusting an output light of an excitation light source of said optical amplifier according to a gain inclination detected by said gain inclination detecting unit.

7. The optical amplifier apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said gain inclination detecting unit branches a wavelength-multiplexed signal light, and detects a gain inclination from optical signal levels of a shortest wave and a longest wave.

8. The optical amplifier apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said gain inclination detecting unit branches a wavelength-multiplexed signal light, and detects a gain inclination from optical signal levels of three or more waves.

9. The optical amplifier apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said optical amplifier apparatus inputs a wavelength-multiplexed signal light having mutually different frequency components superimposed on optical signals of a shortest wave and a longest wave respectively, and said gain inclination detecting unit detects frequency components superimposed on the optical signals of respective wavelengths thereby to detect a gain inclination.

10. The optical amplifier apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said optical amplifier apparatus inputs a wavelength-multiplexed signal light having mutually different frequency components superimposed on optical signals of three or more waves respectively, and said gain inclination detecting unit detects frequency components superimposed on the optical signals thereby to detect a gain inclination.

11. A method for controlling amplification of an optical signal, comprising:

amplifying an input signal light using an optical amplifier;

detecting an unfiltered output level of the amplified signal light;

controlling an output level of the optical amplifier according to the detected unfiltered output level;

detecting a gain inclination relating to a wavelength of the optical amplifier; and

controlling a gain inclination of the optical amplifier according to the detected gain inclination.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

branching a wavelength-multiplexed signal light; and

detecting a gain inclination from optical signal levels of a shortest wave and a longest wave.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

branching a wavelength-multiplexed signal light; and

detecting a gain inclination from optical signal levels of three or more waves.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

inputting a wavelength-multiplexed signal light having mutually different frequency components superimposed on optical signals of a shortest wave and a longest wave respectively;

detecting frequency components superimposed on the optical signals of respective wavelengths; and

detecting a gain inclination based upon the detected frequency components.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

inputting a wavelength-multiplexed signal light having mutually different frequency components superimposed on optical signals of three or more waves respectively;

detecting frequency components superimposed on the optical signals; and

detecting a gain inclination based upon the detected frequency components.

16. A method for controlling amplification of an optical signal, comprising:

amplifying an input wavelength-multiplexed signal light using an optical amplifier;

attenuating the amplified signal light;

detecting the attenuated signal light at an output side of an optical variable attenuator;

controlling an attenuation value of the optical variable attenuator based upon the detected attenuated signal light;

detecting a gain inclination relating to a wavelength of the optical amplifier; and

adjusting an excitation light according to the detected gain inclination.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

branching a wavelength-multiplexed signal light; and

detecting a gain inclination from optical signal levels of a shortest wave and a longest wave.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

branching a wavelength-multiplexed signal light; and

detecting a gain inclination from optical signal levels of three or more waves.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising;

inputting a wavelength-multiplexed signal light having mutually different frequency components superimposed on optical signals of a shortest wave and a longest wave respectively;

detecting frequency components superimposed on the optical signals of respective wavelengths; and

deriving a gain inclination based upon the detected frequency components.

20. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

inputting a wavelength-multiplexed signal light having mutually different frequency components superimposed on optical signals of three or more waves respectively;

detecting frequency components superimposed on the optical signals; and

deriving a gain inclination based upon the detected frequency components.