Abstract: A demultiplexer device is used in a wavelength-division multiplexed optical fiber communication line to achieve efficient dispersion compensation and loss compensation as well as a reduction of active devices such as optical amplifiers. The demultiplexer device has a series of couplers disposed in multi-stages from the input of the demultiplexer. Each coupler has two branches with one branch of each coupler connected to a separate optical filter and the other branches are series connected to a subsequent stage of the couplers through equalizing fibers, except for the final stage which has its second branch connected to an optical filter for the shortest wavelength transmitted. The equalizing fibers are thus serially connected between couplers and act to perform a cumulative dispersion compensation. The quantity of the equalizing fibers can thus be reduced as a whole, and as a result the attenuation amount also decreases, so that the number of optical amplifiers can be reduced.

Abstract: At the time of receiving a repeater supervisory signal superimposed on or combined by wavelength multiplexing with a main optical signal in an optical amplifier repeater system, the received optical signal is subjected to a photoelectric conversion by a photodetector and then branched into two electric signals, the one of which is subjected to equalizing amplification, timing extraction and discrimination and regeneration to extract only the main signal component. The main signal component thus extracted and the main signal contained in the other electric signal, which is not regenerated, are respectively subjected to required equalization, delay adjustment and amplitude adjustment so that they match with one another in waveform, phase and amplitude. In addition, the amplitude adjustment of the main signal is automatically controlled. By differentially combining these signals to remove only the main signal component to minimize its residual value, thereby extracting the supervisory signal to be obtained.

Abstract: An optical transmission system is disclosed, in which the transmission of the optical soliton pulses is controlled by controlling the wavelength dispersion of the optical fiber transmission line for each long section including a plurality of optical amplifier repeaters. In this case,the first sections having an average value of the wavelength dispersion larger than the dispersion value meeting with the soliton condition and the second sections having an average value of the wavelength dispersion smaller than the dispersion value meeting with the soliton condition are alternatively allocated in the optical fiber transmission line, so that the average value of the wavelength dispersion of the entire length of the optical fiber transmission line assumes a positive value.

Abstract: An optical transmitter for providing a signal light with a reduced degree of polarization, the transmitter being used as a transmitting terminal of an optical repeater system that encompasses optical amplifiers at a signal light transmitter, the optical transmitter includes an optical source for transmitting a signal light source; and a degree of polarization reducing circuit including a polarizing beam splitter splitting the signal light source from the optical source means into a first polarized component and a second polarized component that are orthogonal to each other; a first optical path transmitting the first polarized component input from the polarizing beam splitter while maintaining the polarization plane of the first polarized component; a second optical path, which is spatially separate from the first optical path, transmitting the second polarized component input from the polarizing beam splitter while maintaining the polarization plane of the second polarized component; and a polarizing beam mi

Abstract: A chromatic dispersion measuring method and apparatus are disclosed which permit highly accurate measurements of the wavelength dispersion characteristic of an optical transmission such as an optical fiber or an optical amplifier repeater system. Measurements are made on the propagation time of a first optical signal of a fixed wavelength through an optical transmission line to be measured and the propagation time through the same optical transmission line of a second optical signal whose wavelength can be arbitrarily set over the measuring wavelength band. By obtaining a difference between the both propagation times, it is possible to obtain only a change in the propagation time of each signal which is caused by a change in the wavelength of the second optical signal. That is, the elongation or shrinkage of the optical fiber has an equal influence on both of the first optical signal and the second optical signal, and hence does not induce an error in the detection of the above-said time difference.

Abstract: Apparatus for monitoring a plurality of optical repeaters of an optical communication system in which each said repeater directly amplifies an optical signal transmitted in an optical fiber and passing through the respective optical repeater, including an optical division circuit for dividing an outgoing main line signal and a monitoring signal, a format conversion circuit by which monitoring information is converted into binary information, a previous modulation circuit by which a monitoring signal is modulated with a sine wave, a comparison circuit which compares the monitoring signal with a reference voltage, a voltage controlled amplifier which amplifies the modulated monitoring signal, an automatic gain control circuit which regulates the output from the outgoing optical repeater, and an outgoing optical repeater which includes a stimulating light source, a wave synthesizer and a doped optical fiber.

Abstract: In a long-distance high-speed optical communication scheme in which multiple optical amplifiers are provided at a large number of stages in optical fibers, an optical signal from a light source which has a desired small line width and oscillates at a single wavelength is modulated at a high speed by an external modulator and then transmitted in the fibers which are dispersion shifted optical fibers, the zero-dispersion wavelength in which is set to be larger than the oscillation wavelength of the light source. Therefore, noises and the modulation instability, which would occur due to the phase fluctuation in the oscillation wavelength of the light source, and the influence of a waveform distortion due to the dispersion in the optical fibers can be avoided to make it possible for the first time in history to transmit the optical signals at the high-speed in the long-distance optical communication system employing the optical amplifiers.

Abstract: A pumping light source drive system is disclosed for driving pumping light sources of an optical amplifier which is composed of a rare earth doped optical fiber doped with a rare earth element and said pumping light sources. The pumping light sources are always held in operation. The output signal power at the output of the rare earth doped optical fiber or the combined power of the pumping light sources is detected and compared with a predetermined reference power to control the output power of the pumping light sources, so that the output signal power or the combined power of the pumping light sources reaches a predetermined value.

Abstract: An Er-doped optical fiber laser device adapted for pumping by light from a pumping light source in an erbium (Er)-doped optical fiber which enters a single mode at the wavelength of amplified light. In accordance with the present invention, the Er-doped optical fiber is further doped with at least one of holmium (Ho), thulium (Tm) and dysprosium (Dy). The pumping light source emits light in a 1.1 to 1.4 .mu.m band. The output light from the pumping light source and signal light incident to the Er-doped optical fiber are combined by a combining optical fiber coupler.

Abstract: An optical coupler is formed of at least one polarization maintaining single mode fiber, a polarizing beam splitter connected to the polarization maintaining single mode fiber, and a main optical fiber which is connected with the polarizing beam splitter at one end thereof. This optical coupler is useful as a changeover switch for a light source.

Abstract: An optical repeater for an optical digital transmission line has a pair of in-service monitoring circuits (55, 55') each of which includes a flip-flop (57) for dividing frequency of transmission data to derive commands and burst carrier in the first line (54). A counting means (59, 61) is provided for detecting parity errors and counting the errors in an opposite second line (65). A timing generation means (62) is provided for reading out the counting means (61) upon receipt of the burst carrier. A phase modulator (64) provides phase modulation to a clock pulse in an opposite second line (65) according to the output of the timing generation means (62). The number of errors in the second line (65) is stored in the counting means (61) according to commands in a first line (54) from a terminal transmitter (52). The content of the counting means (61) is forwarded to a terminal receiver (66) through phase modulation of clock pulses in a second line (65) upon receipt of the burst carrier.

Abstract: A light dispersion measuring apparatus, provided with a light source for generating reference light pulses of short duration and of a constant frequency and also variable-frequency light pulses in synchronization with the reference light pulses but at a frequency different therefrom. A variable optical delay line delays the reference light pulses. An optical transmission medium, to be detected and to which the variable-frequency light pulses are applied is provided. An optical non-linear effect element receiver the output light pulses from the variable optical delay line and the optical transmission medium and is disposed so that when the two light pulses coincide emitted from the light source with each other, the sum component of the frequencies of the two types of light pulses produces a maximum output. A photo detector detects the sum component.

Abstract: An optical switch for switching laser beams, having a transparent glass plate with a reflection film on the surface of the same has been found. When the reflection film is at the first position, the first input beam is coupled with the output beam through the transparent glass plate, while the second input beam is prevented by said reflection film. When the reflection film is at the second position, the first input beam is prevented by said reflection film, and the second input beam is coupled with the output beam through the reflection by said reflection film. Thus, according to the displacement of the transparent glass plate together with the reflection film, the input beams are switched. Due to the above operational principle, the output optical level does not decrease even during the transient time, and then, the present optical switch is utilized in an optical repeater for digital communication.

Abstract: A fault location system for locating the fault point of an optical fiber transmission system has been found. The present system comprises a laser for generating an optical beam, a sweep oscillator for modulating said laser beam, a half mirror mounted between the outlet of the laser and the inlet of the optical fiber to be tested, an optical receiver for converting the optical beam reflected by the fault point to an electrical signal through said half mirror, a modulator for providing the frequency difference between the instantaneous output frequency of said sweep oscillator and the output frequency of said optical receiver, a low pass filter connected to the output of said modulator, and a spectrum analyzer connected to the output of the low pass filter. The present system has the advantage that the S/N of the system is excellent, and plural fault points can be located at the same time.

Abstract: The operation of a laser in an optical repeater in an optical transmission system using an optical fiber cable is telemonitored at a terminal station by changing the mark ratio of the test signal which is transmitted from the terminal station to the circuit.

Abstract: An optical loss in a single mode optical device is measured by utilizing multi-mode equipment. The present system comprises of an optical source (1), a sample (30) to be tested, a reference optical attenuator (31) for replacing the optical loss in the sample (30), a first optical switch (40) provided between the optical source (1) and the sample (30) through a single mode optical fiber, a second optical switch (41) provided between the sample (30) and the light receiver (2) through the multi-mode optical fiber, said reference optical attenuator (31) being provided between the first optical switch (40) and the second optical switch (41) so that the optical path is switched either to the sample (30) or to the reference attenuator (31), the optical fiber between the sample (30) and the second optical switch (41) and the optical fiber connected to the input and the output of the reference attenuator (31) being a multi-mode optical fiber.

Abstract: The error rate and the operation of repeaters inserted in an optical transmission line are monitored at the terminal station on land by transmitting the test signal and monitoring the response signal of repeaters through the optical data transmission line without utilizing interstitial copper pair. Each repeater has the particular identification code, and the transmission terminal transmits the test code having the repeater identification code and an acknowledgement block with an empty bit position on the time divisional basis with the data to be transmitted. The repeater which finds his identification code in the test code, inserts the response in the acknowledgement block, and repeats the signal including both said test code and the data to be transmitted. The reception terminal analyzes the response signal of each repeater to determine the error rate of each repeaters.

Abstract: A digital signal repeater selecting system for a digital signal transmission system equipped with a plurality of digital signal repeaters disposed on a transmission line at desired intervals, in which there are provided in each of the repeaters a delay circuit having a particular delay time corresponding to an integral multiple of the unit code length of a digital signal and assigned to the repeater and having its input terminal connected to the transmission line, and a code comparator for comparing the input signal to and the output signal from the delay circuit with each other to produce a predetermined output signal when the both signals are decided to be substantially identical with each other, and in which when a repeater selecting code train repeating in synchronism with the delay time is applied to the transmission line, the repeater to which the delay time is assigned produces the predetermined output signal from the code comparator to allow an operation of selecting the repeater.

Abstract: An optical-fiber submarine cable, in which a combination is provided by a thin, cylindrical pressure resisting sheath, and a reinforcing member of a cross section inserted by the thin, cylindrical pressure resisting sheath so as to divide the circular cross section of the pressure resisting sheath into a plurality of spaces and to have a required withstand pressure; and in which at least one low-loss optical fiber is inserted in each of the plurality of spaces. The combination can be fabricated by separately paying out the reinforcing member and the thin, cylindrical pressure resisting sheath, or by curving inwardly a sheet of tape being paid out.

Abstract: An optical repeating path fault location system for a PCM optical transmission system which is composed of a backward transmission path and a forward transmission path respectively formed of separated optical fibers and having disposed therein a plurality of PCM optical regenerative repeaters at the same repeating positions for the transmission paths. For each of the transmission paths at each repeater position, there are provided a detector for extracting from each one of the transmission paths at least one of frequency signal components individually assigned to the repeaters to provide a detected output, and pulse generating means responsive to the detected output to generate a predetermined common test pattern pulse train for applying as an optical signal to the input portion of the corresponding repeater in each the other of the transmission paths.