Abstract: Devices and techniques for achieving signal filtering in RF or microwave frequencies by optical filtering via two optical resonators in two separate optical paths. One optical resonator is tunable to tune the filtering in RF or microwave frequencies. Tunable opto-electronic oscillators may be constructed based on described filters.

Abstract: A transmitting apparatus using a multiple lambda source in WDM network, which has an improved structure to minimize costs and efforts and reduce time delay that may be incurred through wavelength shift. The transmitting apparatus comprises: a multiple lambda source providing a signal with multiple wavelengths, which carries no information; a first optical circulator for transferring the signal with multiple wavelengths carrying no information, which has been transmitted from the multiple lambda sources, to multiplexer/demultiplexer, the first optical circulator transferring a multiplexed signal from the multiplexer/demultiplexer. The multiplexer/demultiplexer demultiplexes the multiple wavelength optical signal from the first optical circulator and for multiplexing optical signals of each wavelength on which information is loaded.

Abstract: An optical device for conditioning a multi-channel optical signal is provided, comprising a channel separation and assembly unit and a signal processor. The signal processor comprises an optical attenuator for adjusting the power level of the signals, an optical detector for detecting the power level associated with each of the multiple channels, a reflective medium disposed between the optical attenuator and detector, and a microprocessor-based controller in electrical communication with the attenuator and detector for dynamically controlling the power distribution of the output signal.

Abstract: An all-optical regenerating circuit including a wavelength converter based on a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The input signal is amplified and the interferometer adjusted to place the input signal across an entire monotonic portion of a sinusoidal transfer function to the wavelength-converted output signal. Retiming is effected by wavelength converters including pulsed laser sources of the output wavelength. A multi-wavelength regenerator may be integrated on a chip including two arrayed waveguides and an array of tunable lasers on parallel waveguides therebetween.

Abstract: In order to set up a bidirectional connection path in an optical transmission system composed of a number of switched optical network nodes having a number of unidirectional terminating units, in which each unidirectional terminating unit of a network node is connected to a unidirectional terminating unit of a further network node via a unidirectional connection path section, an adaptation layer is provided via which at least two unidirectional terminating units of an optical network node which have opposite transmission directions are combined to form one bidirectional terminating unit and addressed together. As a result, the setting up of the bidirectional connection paths is improved in a particularly advantageous way in terms of the duration and the signaling complexity.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, an optical fiber communication system is provided with a tunable linearly chirped Bragg grating in high birefringence fiber for reduction of polarization mode dispersion without increasing chromatic dispersion. A first embodiment using a single grating can be tuned for optimal PMD compensation, optimal chromatic compensation or optimal simultaneous compensation. Alternative embodiments using a plurality of gratings permit simultaneous compensation of both PMD and chromatic dispersion.

Abstract: An optical communication system includes a plurality of optical add/drop multiplexers (OADMs). The plurality of OADMs includes at least five low distortion OADMs. Each OADM is coupled between spans of a multiple span communication link and operable to receive a multiple wavelength signal. The multiple wavelength signal includes a plurality of bands of wavelength signals each separated from other bands of wavelength signals by one or more guard-channels. In one embodiment, each of the at least five low distortion OADMs adds/drops a common first band of wavelengths to/from the multiple wavelength signal. In some embodiments, a spectral distortion associated with a pass-through wavelength signal spectrally adjacent to one of the one or more guard-channels is no more than three decibels after exiting the last of the plurality of low distortion OADMs. In those embodiments, the guard-channel is adjacent to the first band of wavelengths.

Abstract: An electro-optic modulator arrangement for achieving switching speeds greater than 1 Gb/s utilizes pre-emphasis pulses to accelerate the change in refractive index of the optical waveguide used to form the electro-optic modulator. In one embodiment, a feedback loop may be added to use a portion of the modulated optical output signal to adjust the magnitude and duration of the pre-emphasis pulses, as well as the various reference levels used for modulated. For free carrier-based electro-optic modulators, including silicon-based electro-optic modulators, the pre-emphasis pulses are used to accelerate the movement of free carriers at the transitions between input signal data values.

Abstract: In each node of an optical transmission system: an optical preamplifier has an ALC function for maintaining an optical output level constant and an AGC function for maintaining the gain constant; the operational mode of the optical preamplifier is changed from an ALC mode to an AGC mode after the gain is set in the ALC mode; an optical postamplifier has an AGC function; an optical switch unit performs an optical crossconnect operation; and a thru-light-shutoff control unit makes a switch setting so as to shut off pass-through light in the optical switch unit and stop transmission of an optical signal having an unstable level to a next stage when the optical preamplifier operates in the ALC mode, and clears the switch setting when the operational mode of the optical preamplifier is changed to the AGC mode.

Abstract: An optical network unit is associated with a multi-wavelength optical fiber communications system carrying low-power digital signals bidirectionally transmitted at a first and a second wavelength and a high-power analog video signal transmitted at a third wavelength. The unit comprises a housing having a connection for the optical fiber; and an optical filter, first and second optical units, and a beam splitter mounted in the housing. The optical filter is interposed between the fiber termination and the second optical unit, and is adapted to block light of the third wavelength but bidirectionally transmit light of the first and second wavelengths. The system is readily implemented, and any combination of the data and video services may be selected. A high level of skill is not required for changing the combination of services procured.

Abstract: An optical communication system includes a first end terminal comprising a first transponder operable to receive a first electrical signal and generate an optical signal based at least in part on the first electrical signal for communication to a multiple span communication link. The optical signal experiences at least partial dispersion compensation from an optical dispersion compensating element as it traverses the communication link. The system also includes a second end terminal comprising a second transponder operable to receive the optical signal and generate a second electrical signal based at least in part on the optical signal. At least one of the first and second end terminals further includes an electronic dispersion compensation module operable to provide electronic dispersion compensation to at least a portion of at least one of the first and second electrical signals.

Abstract: An optical communications receiver comprising a wide-band optical detector array and a high-speed digital signal processor programmed to operate on the raw data from the detector array to ameliorate the effects of atmospheric turbulence on the performance of the optical receiver in real-time while operating within the terrestrial atmosphere, or while attempting to communicate through any similar turbulent medium is provided. A method of sending optical communications through such optical communications receivers is also provided.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for assigning channel bands to a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) system is disclosed. The WDM system includes an arrangement of optical amplifiers, banded optical add-drop multiplexers (OADMs) having blocking filters, and a tunable edge filter. The channel band assignment method suppresses amplified stimulated emissions (ASE) in a partially populated system in which at least one of the blocking filters is not in the transmission path. Channel bands are assigned from one edge of an amplified transmission window to the other in a sequential order and the tunable edge filter is adjusted to attenuate ASE wavelengths not blocked by the blocking filters as channels are assigned. A channel decommissioning method is also disclosed which employs similar techniques and the tunable edge filter to suppress ASE as blocking filters are removed or otherwise deselected from the transmission path.

Abstract: The invention relates to a data regenerator and an optical receiver with low power consumption. The data regenerator comprises a data decision circuit, a decision parameter generator circuit, a decision parameter control circuit and a power control circuit. The data decision circuit decides data included in an input signal using decision parameters. The decision parameters are generated in the parameter generator. The decision parameters are specified by the parameter control. The parameter control operates only when receiving operating power. The power supply to the parameter control is controlled by the power control. Since power is supplied to the parameter control only when it is necessary to update the parameters, power consumption is reduced.

Abstract: A data unit 1010 outputs an information signal to be transmitted in the form of optical packets, as well as wavelength information representing a wavelength of each optical packet. A first modulating signal processing unit 1051 receives an information signal, and inserts an electric signal (“dummy signal”) in any no-data period during which the information signal is absent, and outputs the resultant signal as a modulating signal. The dummy signal has the same amplitude as that of the information signal. A wavelength information processing unit 1021 outputs a wavelength controlling current corresponding to the wavelength information, and in any no-data period, outputs a wavelength controlling current corresponding to a wavelength which is different from the wavelengths represented by the wavelength information. A wavelength-tunable light source 1030 outputs light of a wavelength corresponding to the wavelength controlling current.

Abstract: Optical devices and methods for regulating optical channel signals with specified wavelengths are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a number of variable optical apparatuses are employed. Each of the variable optical apparatuses includes a first and a second optical channel module, both configured at a wavelength ?i. Each of the variable optical apparatuses further includes an optical regulator (i.e. a neutral density filter controlled by a stepper motor) coupled between the first and second optical channel modules. When signals with different wavelengths arrive, only the signal with the wavelength ?i will transmit through the first optical channel module and the rest are reflected off. The transmitted signal is regulated (i.e. attenuated or strengthened) accordingly by the optical regulator before transmitting through the second optical channel module. Hence, the signals with different wavelengths can be respectively regulated by one of the variable optical apparatuses.

Abstract: Apparatus and method is described for using a silicon photon-counting avalanche photodiode (APD) to detect at least two-photon absorption (TPA) of an optical signal, the optical signal having a wavelength range extending from 1.2 ?m to an upper wavelength region that increases as the number of photons simultaneously absorbed by the APD increases beyond two. In one embodiment, the TPA count is used by a signal compensation apparatus to reduce dispersion of a received optical pulse communication signal subjected to group velocity dispersion, polarization mode dispersion, or other signal impairment phenomena which effect the TPA count. Another embodiment, the TPA count is used to determine the optical signal-to-noise ratio of a received optical pulse communication signal. Another embodiment uses the TPA count to determine the autocorrelation between a first and second optical pulse signals as a function of the relative delay between the first and second optical pulse signals.

Abstract: An optical network is provided which comprises a plurality of optical network units (19) and optical source means (3) connected and arranged to transmit light signals to each of the plurality of optical network units (19). The optical source means (3) are capable of transmitting light signals at one or more of a plurality of different wavelengths and at least one optical network unit (19) is operable to accept more than one of the said wavelengths. Further, each wavelength of the plurality is accepted by at least one of the optical network units (19) such that each such wavelength is accepted by a different subset of optical network units (19). The optical network further comprises control means (18) operable to cause the optical source means (3) to transmit light signals at one or more selected such wavelengths corresponding to respective desired subsets of the optical network units (19).

Abstract: Optical transmission systems of the present invention include at least one optical amplifier generally including an optical signal amplifying medium supplied with pump power in the form of optical energy in via an optical pump source. The pump source includes multiple optical sources, at least two of which provide optical energy in first and second wavelength ranges separated by a frequency difference. The amplifier includes a wavelength controller configured to adjust the wavelength range of at least one of the optical sources to vary the frequency difference in a manner sufficient to vary optical intensity noise produced when the optical energy from the multiple optical sources is combined.

Abstract: A system for all-optical signal regeneration is provided, which makes it possible to exhibit desired intensity noise suppressing function with respect to pulsed input signal light without increasing the injection current of semiconductor optical amplifiers even if the magnitude of nonlinear phase shift of the input signal light is less than ?. The output light of the first delay interference unit is subjected to phase shift in the first nonlinear semiconductor waveguide and then, applied to the second delay interference unit along with the clock light. In the second delay interference unit, the first interfered light is generated from the output light while the second interfered light is generated from the clock light having an opposite logic to the input light. The second interfered light is subjected to phase shift by the first interfered light in the second nonlinear semiconductor waveguide and then, applied to the third delay interference unit.