Abstract: A reconfigurable optical amplifier including a first reversible optical circulator and an optical gain device is provided. The first reversible optical circulator has four I/O ports which are respectively referred to as a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, and a fourth terminal. The four I/O ports sequentially transmit an optical signal in a transmission direction of a forward circulation or a backward circulation according to a control signal. The first terminal is isolated from the adjacent fourth terminal. The optical gain device is connected between the first terminal and the adjacent fourth terminal. The second terminal and the third terminal are respectively connected to a first communication node and a second communication node.

Abstract: A non-sampling-based Q-factor measuring apparatus and method use a power conversion module to transform the power variation of inputted optical signals in time domain into the variation in other domains, such as optical wavelength, optical polarization and different output ports of optical elements. Taking optical wavelength as an example, different levels of power variation respond different outputs of wavelength variation through the use of a power-to-wavelength conversion module. An optical filter then separates the inputted optical signals with different wavelengths. The power average of a wavelength for its corresponding optical signals is further calculated by a photo detector. Thereby, the information of the power variation for the inputted optical signals at levels 1 and 0 can be obtained, and the Q-factor for the inputted optical signals is easily measured.

Abstract: An all-optical label swapping system and method superimposes a low-speed ASK label on top of a high-speed DC-balanced-line-coded ASK payload. An old ASK label is erased by modulating the combined payload and label signal with the inverse of the received ASK label. This ASK labeling technique requires only low speed external modulators and low speed optical receivers to perform the label swapping mechanism, and does not require sophisticated optical components.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring a coherence sampling quality-factor (Q-factor) are provided, which are used to monitor quality of an optical signal in an optical network in real time. The quality is evaluated by a Q-factor. A laser diode and a wavelength converter are used in the apparatus to achieve wavelength coherence and amplification of the optical signal. Furthermore, the laser diode and an optical switch are used together to obtain an optical pulse that can be utilized to sample the optical signal. Therefore, after entering into an optoelectronic converter, a baseband signal in the optical signal is reconstructed through the amplification of the optical signal and the coupling of the optical pulse, so as to detect the Q-factor and to monitor the quality of the optical signal.

Abstract: A non-sampling-based Q-factor measuring apparatus and method use a power conversion module to transform the power variation of inputted optical signals in time domain into the variation in other domains, such as optical wavelength, optical polarization and different output ports of optical elements. Taking optical wavelength as an example, different levels of power variation respond different outputs of wavelength variation through the use of a power-to-wavelength conversion module. An optical filter then separates the inputted optical signals with different wavelengths. The power average of a wavelength for its corresponding optical signals is further calculated by a photo detector. Thereby, the information of the power variation for the inputted optical signals at levels 1 and 0 can be obtained, and the Q-factor for the inputted optical signals is easily measured.

Abstract: A non-sampling-based Q-factor measuring apparatus and method use a power conversion module to transform the power variation of inputted optical signals in time domain into the variation in other domains, such as optical wavelength, optical polarization and different output ports of optical elements. Taking optical wavelength as an example, different levels of power variation respond different outputs of wavelength variation through the use of a power-to-wavelength conversion module. An optical filter then separates the inputted optical signals with different wavelengths. The power average of a wavelength for its corresponding optical signals is further calculated by a photo detector. Thereby, the information of the power variation for the inputted optical signals at levels 1 and 0 can be obtained, and the Q-factor for the inputted optical signals is easily measured.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for monitoring optical signal-to-noise ratio are provided. It can be applied in dense wavelength-division multiplexed networks to monitor the transmission quality of each optical channel. The apparatus comprises an optical circulator, a tunable optical filter, a dithering signal, a dithered reflector, and two photodiodes. It can be integrated on a single chip. The invention utilizes the dithering and reflection functions of the dithered reflector, and passes the signal and the noise through the tunable optical filter once and twice, respectively. When the tunable optical filter is scanning and filtering the whole spectrum, the signal and noise powers are measured by the two photodiodes, respectively. The OSNR for each optical channel is then calculated according to the signal and noise powers. It can monitor channel location, wavelength drift, and OSNR by including a wavelength locker to act as an optical channel analyzer.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for simultaneous channel and optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) monitoring is adapted to function in multi-channel wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) optical communication systems. A polarization controller is sequentially adjusted to perform the sequential polarization control with an optical signal. A polarization-selective electro-optic modulator acts as a polarizer and provides a signal dithering to improve the detection sensitivity. A beam splitter splits the dithered optical signal into two clusters. A photodetector receives the first cluster and measures the OSNR. An optical element receives the second cluster and monitors the channel wavelength of multiple channels. The apparatus can be packaged into a compact module and integrated on a chip. The channel monitoring covers a wide wavelength range and is tunable. The OSNR monitoring can be accurate over a wide dynamic range.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring a coherence sampling quality-factor (Q-factor) are provided, which are used to monitor quality of an optical signal in an optical network in real time. The quality is evaluated by a Q-factor. A laser diode and a wavelength converter are used in the apparatus to achieve wavelength coherence and amplification of the optical signal. Furthermore, the laser diode and an optical switch are used together to obtain an optical pulse that can be utilized to sample the optical signal. Therefore, after entering into an optoelectronic converter, a baseband signal in the optical signal is reconstructed through the amplification of the optical signal and the coupling of the optical pulse, so as to detect the Q-factor and to monitor the quality of the optical signal.

Abstract: A non-sampling-based Q-factor measuring apparatus and method use a power conversion module to transform the power variation of inputted optical signals in time domain into the variation in other domains, such as optical wavelength, optical polarization and different output ports of optical elements. Taking optical wavelength as an example, different levels of power variation respond different outputs of wavelength variation through the use of a power-to-wavelength conversion module. An optical filter then separates the inputted optical signals with different wavelengths. The power average of a wavelength for its corresponding optical signals is further calculated by a photo detector. Thereby, the information of the power variation for the inputted optical signals at levels 1 and 0 can be obtained, and the Q-factor for the inputted optical signals is easily measured.

Abstract: An all-optical label swapping system and method superimposes a low-speed ASK label on top of a high-speed DC-balanced-line-coded ASK payload. An old ASK label is erased by modulating the combined payload and label signal with the inverse of the received ASK label. This ASK labeling technique requires only low speed external modulators and low speed optical receivers to perform the label swapping mechanism, and does not require sophisticated optical components.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for monitoring optical signal-to-noise ratio are provided. It can be applied in dense wavelength-division multiplexed networks to monitor the transmission quality of each optical channel. The apparatus comprises an optical circulator, a tunable optical filter, a dithering signal, a dithered reflector, and two photodiodes. It can be integrated on a single chip. The invention utilizes the dithering and reflection functions of the dithered reflector, and passes the signal and the noise through the tunable optical filter once and twice, respectively. When the tunable optical filter is scanning and filtering the whole spectrum, the signal and noise powers are measured by the two photodiodes, respectively. The OSNR for each optical channel is then calculated according to the signal and noise powers. It can monitor channel location, wavelength drift, and OSNR by including a wavelength locker to act as an optical channel analyzer.

Abstract: A single-wavelength distributed feedback (DFB) laser structure is provided. The laser structure having two sections includes an active-material layer for generating a laser having a wavelength in a specific range, two cladding layers respectively covering an upper and a bottom sides of the active-material layer for forming a waveguide structure, a phase shift layer having a specific thickness for controlling a difference between Bragg wavelengths of the two sections, a wet-etching stop layer positioned between the active-material layer and the phase shift layer, and a grating layer having a specific period for determining an illuminating wavelength, wherein a difference between the two sections is an existence of the phase shift layer thereon, and the existence of the phase shift layer causes a difference of the effective refractive indices between the two sections so as to generate a fixed difference between Bragg wavelengths of the two sections.

Abstract: A simultaneous optical isolation and channel monitoring system for monitoring a channel of an incident light is provided. The system includes an optical isolator for receiving an incident light so as to isolate an interference of backward light into the cavity of laser source or an optical amplifier, wherein after passing through the optical isolator, the incident light has a different polarization state output changing with a wavelength thereof, a beam splitter connected to the optical isolator for separating the light into a light to output and a light for monitoring signal, a linear polarizer connected to the beam splitter for filtering a quantity of signal from the monitored light, and a photodetector connected to the linear polarizer for detecting the quantity of signal generated from the monitored light so as to monitor the channel.

Abstract: The present invention provides a wavelength converter with wideband four-wave-mixing, which includes a laser diode, an optical modulator, a first and a second polarization controllers, a first, a second and a third tunable lasers, an optical coupler, a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) and a multiplexer. The present invention utilizes an assist beam that can improve the recovery rate and saturation power of the SOA. While the SOA is operated at a bias current close to the transparent condition for the assist beam, it does not influence the gain of the SOA wavelength converter.

Abstract: There are disclosed a wavelength monitoring device of tunable laser sources and a method thereof. A Fabry-Perot etalon is provided to detect the wavelength drift, and furthermore, a Fabry-Perot laser diode or a light emitting diode is provided to recognize the channel of the wavelength. The wavelength drift is used to determine the junction voltage of each corresponding channel in advance. Then, the actually detected junction voltage of the diode is used to determine the channel of the wavelength, thereby accurately detecting the actual channel wavelength.

Abstract: The present invention provides a wavelength converter with wideband four-wave-mixing, which includes a laser diode, an optical modulator, a first and a second polarization controllers, a first, a second and a third tunable lasers, an optical coupler, a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) and a multiplexer. The present invention utilizes an assist beam that can improve the recovery rate and saturation power of the SOA. While the SOA is operated at a bias current close to the transparent condition for the assist beam, it does not influence the gain of the SOA wavelength converter.

Abstract: A single-wavelength distributed feedback (DFB) laser structure is provided. The laser structure having two sections includes an active-material layer for generating a laser having a wavelength in a specific range, two cladding layers respectively covering an upper and a bottom sides of the active-material layer for forming a waveguide structure, a phase shift layer having a specific thickness for controlling a difference between Bragg wavelengths of the two sections, a wet-etching stop layer positioned between the active-material layer and the phase shift layer, and a grating layer having a specific period for determining an illuminating wavelength, wherein a difference between the two sections is an existence of the phase shift layer thereon, and the existence of the phase shift layer causes a difference of the effective refractive indices between the two sections so as to generate a fixed difference between Bragg wavelengths of the two sections.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a constructing method and device for an optical passive component by using an improved structure of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. This improved structure of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer is composed of two MMI beam splitters, a curved channel waveguide and a periodic segment waveguide for being separately used as the beam-splitting components, the curved arm and the straight arm of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer. In the inventive MMI beam splitter, a sub-area in the MMI waveguide is a periodic segment waveguide having a plurality of segments. By adjusting the number of the segments of the periodic segment waveguide in the MMI waveguide, the beam-splitting ratio of the MMI beam splitter can be arbitrarily adjusted. By adjusting the segment period and the duty cycle of the straight arm of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer, the required length of the straight arm can be efficiently shortened.

Abstract: A simultaneous optical isolation and channel monitoring system for monitoring a channel of an incident light is provided. The system includes an optical isolator for receiving an incident light so as to isolate an interference of backward light into the cavity of laser source or an optical amplifier, wherein after passing through the optical isolator, the incident light has a different polarization state output changing with a wavelength thereof, a beam splitter connected to the optical isolator for separating the light into a light to output and a light for monitoring signal, a linear polarizer connected to the beam splitter for filtering a quantity of signal from the monitored light, and a photodetector connected to the linear polarizer for detecting the quantity of signal generated from the monitored light so as to monitor the channel.