Abstract: A wavelength converter configured to filter out solely lightwaves required to be wavelength converted from the input broadband of wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) lightwaves, which are wavelength converted by use of four-wave mixing (FWM). Frequency interval of the input WDM lightwaves is broadened or reduced in comparison of the frequency interval of the WDM lightwaves inputted to the wavelength converted. The frequency interval variation techniques using the wavelength converter, it can be realized to transfer from transmission lines less influenced by inter-channel crosstalk due to FWM to the different transmission lines strongly influenced by inter-channel crosstalk due to FWM, and vice versa. In one embodiment, the invention employs difference frequency generation (DFG) instead of FWM.

Abstract: Solely lightwaves required to be wavelength converted are filtered out from the input broadband WDM lightwaves and are wavelength converted by use of FWM. Not only the broadband simultaneous wavelength conversion that is studied by many researchers, but also more flexible, sub-band wavelength conversion is realized. Frequency interval of the input WDM lightwaves is broadened or reduced in comparison of the frequency interval of the WDM lightwaves inputted to the wavelength converter. The frequency interval variation techniques using the wavelength converter, it can be realized to transfer from a transmission line less influenced by inter-channel crosstalk due to FWM to the different transmission lines strongly influenced by inter-channel crosstalk due to FWM, and vice versa.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for generating four-wave mixing to obtain idler light with high efficiency, in which the range of lengths of an optical fiber is appropriately set, and probe light and pumping light, having different frequencies, are launched into the optical fiber. When the nonlinear coefficient of the optical fiber, the loss per unit distance, and the wavelength and intensity of the probe light and pumping light are set to certain values, the idler light conversion efficiency at the output end of the optical fiber is a periodic function of an optical fiber having a maximal value and a minimal value. The maximum length of the optical fiber to be used to obtain four-wave mixing is set to be equal to or less than the length Lmax (Lmax=Lm+&Dgr;L) which is given by adding the length of the optical fiber Lm, at which the idler light conversion efficiency takes on the first maximal value in the aforementioned periodic function and distance &Dgr;L or 10% of L.

Abstract: A multi-frequency light producing method and apparatus multiplies the number of optical channels present in an incident wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) signal light source by four-wave mixing (FWM) the WDM signal with at least one pump lightwave at least one time. By FWM the WDM light and a pump lightwave multiple times, wherein each FWM process is executed with a pump lightwave having a different frequency, either in series or parallel, the number of optical channels produced as a result of FWM effectively increases the number of optical channels present in addition to those from the WDM signal. The light producing method and apparatus can be employed in a telecommunications system as a an inexpensive light source producing a plurality of optical frequencies.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for generating four-wave mixing to obtain idler light with high efficiency, in which the range of lengths of an optical fiber is appropriately set, and probe light and pumping light, having different frequencies, are launched into the optical fiber. When the nonlinear coefficient of the optical fiber, the loss per unit distance, and the wavelength and intensity of the probe light and pumping light are set to certain values, the idler light conversion efficiency at the output end of the optical fiber is a periodic function with respect to optical fiber length having a maximal value and a minimal value. The maximum length of the optical fiber to be used to obtain four-wave mixing is set to be equal to or less than the length Lmax (Lmax=Lm+&Dgr;L) which is given by adding the length of the optical fiber Lm, at which the idler light conversion efficiency takes on the first maximal value in the aforementioned periodic function and distance &Dgr;L or 10% of Lm.

Abstract: An optical pulse generator comprises a comb-like dispersion profiled fiber formed into an optical loop mirror. The fiber may comprise three or more segments of fiber having alternating highly dispersive and highly nonlinear characteristics. The optical loop mirror construction splits an input pulse into two portions that propagate through the CDPF in opposite directions. The pulse portions are re-combined, and a compressed pulse with reduced noise is produced.

Abstract: A wavelength converting method and apparatus which converts wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) signal light, having a plurality of channels, by four-wave mixing the WDM signal light with at least one pump lightwave. Wavelength conversion of the WDM signal is accomplished without producing noise by FWM the WDM signal with an pump lightwave, wherein the pump lightwave frequency is separated from the WDM signal by an interval equal to or greater than the bandwidth of the WDM signal. Two pump lightwaves can be used instead of one, wherein one of the pump lightwaves has a frequency on side of the bandwidth of the WDM signal, and the average frequency of the two pump lightwaves is on the other side of the WDM signal bandwidth.

Abstract: A waveform converter for altering the waveform and optical spectrum of an optical signal may comprise a nonlinear element having a nonlinear effect on optical pulses, a dispersion element having a dispersion effect on optical pulses, and a wavelength selecting element configured to select spectral components in a desired wavelength region.

Abstract: A wavelength of pump is set to an anomalous dispersion area of an optical fiber for wavelength conversion and pump power is set to be larger than a predetermined threshold of MI so that wavelength conversion capable of flattening conversion efficiency spectrum within a wide bandwidth is permitted. A pumping source can oscillate a lightwave having a wavelength in the anomalous dispersion region of the optical fiber for wavelength conversion and intensity which can flatten the conversion efficiency spectrum over the wide bandwidth.

Abstract: The present invention effectively compensates gain wavelength dependency of optical amplifiers by a simple method. That is, a value smaller than the minimum value of gain, in the range of usage wavelengths, of gain wavelength dependency data of the optical amplifiers is predetermined as a reference gain value. A loss wavelength characteristic which counterbalances the gain greater than the reference gain value is provided as an ideal loss wavelength characteristic which completely compensates the gain wavelength dependency.

Abstract: In an optical gain equalizer according to the present invention, a plurality of etalon filters 1 and one ore more fiber gratings 2 or dielectric multilayer filters 3 are arranged in line, and a beam of light externally applied is passed through the etalon filters 1 and the fiber gratings 2 or dielectric multilayer filters 3 and outputted to the outside, and the etalon filters 1 have sinusoidal wave loss characteristic of the same amplitude and period as those of the term obtained by Fourier series expansion of the loss wavelength characteristic for gain flattening, and the one or more fiber gratings 2 or dielectric multilayer filters 3 compensate the ripple component remaining as the difference between the loss wavelength characteristic for gain flattening and the loss wavelength characteristic owing to the etalon filters 1. An optical amplifying device 14 is constituted by combining an optical amplifier 5 with the optical gain equalizer 4.

Abstract: Solely lightwaves required to be wavelength converted are filtered out from the input broadband WDM lightwaves and are wavelength converted by use of FWM. Not only the broadband simultaneous wavelength conversion that is studied by many researchers, but also more flexible, sub-band wavelength conversion is realized. Frequency interval of the input WDM lightwaves is broadened or reduced in comparison of the frequency interval of the WDM lightwaves inputted to the wavelength converter. The frequency interval variation techniques using the wavelength converter, it can be realized to transfer from a transmission lines less influenced by inter-channel crosstalk due to FWM to the different transmission lines strongly influenced by inter-channel crosstalk due to FWM, and vice versa.

Abstract: A method to obtain polarization characteristics of an optical transmission medium is disclosed. Sequentially plural different states of polarized light are launched into the optical transmission medium. Intensities of light emerging from the optical transmission medium through combinations of optical elements are measured to obtain Stokes parameters from which Stokes vectors describing the emerging light corresponding to each of the plural sequentially launched states of polarization are obtained; for at least three different launched states of polarization, descriptors are used of these launched states of polarization and the Stokes vectors describing the corresponding emerging light to calculate a Jones matrix which mathematically models the changes that the launched light when described in terms of a Jones vector is subject to when passing through the optical transmission medium; and, the Jones matrix is used to describe the polarization characteristics of the optical transmission medium.