Abstract: A soliton pulse generator is formed by providing an input continuous wave, stimulating Brillouin scattering of an input wave having a frequency determined by the frequency of the input continuous wave to generate a backscattered wave, coupling a continuous wave having a frequency determined by the input continuous wave with the backscattered wave to generate a sinusoidal output signal, and then compressing the sinusoidal output to form a soliton pulse train. Because the wavelength shift of the backscattered wave is essentially independent of the input wavelength and power, coupling of the second wave and the backscatterred wave results in a highly stable and controllable sinusoidal output signal. A highly stable and controllable soliton pulse train is provided by compressing the sinusoidal signal with use of a dispersion decreasing fiber or with use of an alternative pulse compressing device.

Abstract: A low noise optical fiber Raman amplifier with integral Raman laser (FRA) is disclosed. The FRA typically comprises a fiber ring with at least two amplifier stages, with strictly counter-propagating pump radiation. Relatively short wavelength (e.g., 1060 nm) pump power is provided to the Raman laser portion of the fiber ring. Appropriately selected and placed Bragg gratings provide one or more optical cavities in the fiber ring, such that the input pump radiation is converted to the desired amplifier pump radiation (e.g., 1240 nm, suitable for amplification of 1310 nm signal radiation). The FRA can, for instance, advantageously serve as power amplifier in digital or analog fiber communication systems, or it can serve as pre-amplifier or in-line amplifier.