Abstract: A dispersion compensator and method of dispersion compensation in which an input light is converted to a selected second wavelength, the converted light beam having the second wavelength is dispersion compensated in an amount dependent upon the second wavelength, and the compensated light beam having the second wavelength is converted to the first wavelength.

Abstract: An erbium fiber (or erbium-ytterbium) based chirped pulse amplification system is illustrated. The use of fiber amplifiers operating in the telecommunications window enables the implementation of telecommunications components and telecommunications compatible assembly procedures with superior mechanical stability.

Abstract: An optical receiver including a variable optical attenuator for controlling an optical loss value for each optical transmission line based on a predetermined optical loss value; a variable dispersion compensation module for controlling a wavelength dispersion value for each optical transmission line based on a predetermined dispersion value; an optical loss/dispersion controller for measuring the optical loss value and the wavelength dispersion value of every optical transmission line, outputting these values so that they are equal in all the optical transmission lines, and controlling the attenuator and the module based on the outputted predetermined values; a receive amplifier for receiving the optical signal whose light level is kept constant and amplifying the signal; and, a transmission line switch control module is provided for switching a working transmission line into a protection line if the optical signal level of the working line is lower than a threshold value.

Abstract: The present invention provides devices and methods for Raman amplification and dispersion compensation. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a dispersion compensating device includes a dispersion compensating fiber having a dispersion more negative than about ?50 ps/nm/km over a wavelength range of about 1555 nm to about 1615 nm; a Raman gain fiber having a dispersion more positive than about ?40 ps/nm/km over a wavelength range of about 1555 nm to about 1615 nm; and a pump source operatively coupled to the dispersion compensating fiber and the Raman gain fiber, the pump source operating at a pump wavelength, wherein the dispersion compensating fiber has a Raman Figure of Merit at the pump wavelength, and wherein the Raman gain fiber has a Raman Figure of Merit at least about equivalent to the Raman Figure of Merit of the dispersion compensating fiber, and wherein the dispersion compensating fiber and the Raman gain fiber are arranged in series between the input and the output of the device.

Abstract: A hybrid Raman-EDFA provides gain equalization over the C-band and L-band. The hybrid Raman-EDFA includes a Raman section producing a Raman gain and an EDFA section producing an EDFA gain complementing the Raman gain. The EDFA section preferably includes a highly inverted, single-stage EDFA to produce the complementing EDFA gain shape. One embodiment of the EDFA section includes a high return loss termination located after the erbium fiber to receive unabsorbed pump power. Multiple hybrid Raman-EDFAs can be connected in an amplifier chain in a transmission system. The transmission system preferably provides a dispersion map including regular composite fiber spans followed by at least one compensating span of negative dispersion fibers. The Raman sections of the hybrid Raman-EDFAs are preferably coupled to negative dispersion fiber in the transmission system.

Abstract: The present invention provides devices and methods for dispersion compensation. According to one embodiment of the invention, a dispersion compensating device includes a negative dispersion fiber having an input configured to receive the optical signal, the negative dispersion fiber having a length and dispersion sufficient to remove any positive chirp from each wavelength channel of the optical signal, thereby outputting a negatively chirped optical signal; an amplifying device configured to amplify the negatively chirped optical signal; and a nonlinear positive dispersion fiber configured to receive the negatively chirped optical signal. The devices of the present invention provide broadband compensation for a systems having a wide range of variable residual dispersions.

Abstract: An ultrashort pulse amplifier produces high-power ultrafast laser pulses. Pulses first have net negative (i.e. blue to red) chirp applied, and are then amplified in a laser amplifier. After amplification, the pulses are compressed using propagation through a block of material or other convenient optical system with a positive sign of chromatic dispersion. High-order dispersion correction may also be included.

Abstract: An optical fiber transmission line composed of a plurality of segments each having a length falling within a predetermined range is provided. An optical transmitter for supplying an optical signal to the transmission line is provided at one end of the transmission line. An optical receiver for receiving the optical signal from the transmission line is provided at the other end of the transmission line. An optical amplifier is provided between any two adjacent ones of the segments. A dispersion compensator is provided in association with each of the optical transmitter, the optical receiver, and the optical amplifier. The dispersion compensator provides a dispersion selected from a plurality of stepwise varying dispersions determined according to the predetermined range.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for minimizing system deterioration caused by polarization effects (e.g., a polarization-dependent gain (PDG), a polarization-dependent loss (PDL), and a polarization mode dispersion (PMD)). The apparatus performs a signal modulation process to enable one bit to simultaneously contain two orthogonal polarization components, resulting in a minimum DOP (Degree Of Polarization). If a signal undergoes the PMD, the apparatus converts an NRZ (Non Return to Zero) signal into an RZ (Return to Zero) signal, resulting in minimum inter-symbol interference caused by the PMD. The apparatus can improve a performance of an optical signal during the PMD operation, whereas a conventional PMD compensation technique has been designed to remove system deterioration caused by only the PMD.

Abstract: An optical signal transmission line includes a first fiber adapted to guide an optical signal therethrough and having a first ?, a second fiber adapted to guide the optical signal therethrough and having a second ? of less than or equal to about 100 nm at a wavelength of 1550 nm, and a ? compensating fiber adapted to guide the optical signal therethrough and having a third ? of greater than or equal to about 60 nm at a wavelength of 1550 nm. The first fiber, the second fiber and the ? compensating fiber are in optical communication, thereby defining an optical transmission line having a total dispersion and a total dispersion slope. The first ?, the second ? and the third ? cooperate such that the total dispersion is within the range of about 1.0 ps/nm-km?total dispersion?about ?1.0 ps/nm-km at a wavelength of 1550 nm, and the total dispersion slope is within the range of about 0.02 ps/nm2-km?total dispersion slope?about ?0.02 ps/nm2-km at a wavelength of 1550 nm.

Abstract: The dispersion managed solution for long haul, high speed D/WDM systems according to the invention operates on three closely related aspects of the communication system. One is provision of a new type of dispersion managed (DM) optical cable with improved dispersion performance over the existing unidirectional and bidirectional cables. Another aspect considered is providing a communication path implemented over DM cable with distributed Raman amplification, to obtain a transmission reach of 2000 km and more, without regeneration. Still another aspect of the dispersion management solution according to the invention is to provide ways of managing the end-to-end dispersion of a communication path, using the DM cable and taking into consideration all active and passive network elements in the respective path. Consideration is also given to the evolution of the path from simple to complex, as the user demand on more services grow.

Abstract: An optical amplifier system is disclosed comprising a span of dispersion compensating fiber (DCF) and a temperature control system. The temperature control system is positioned proximate to the DCF span. The DCF span is configured to carry optical signals. The temperature control system is configured to control the temperature of the environment directly surrounding the DCF span to reduce polarization mode dispersion (PMD) fluctuation in the DCF span.

Abstract: 1—“A DOUBLE PASS OPTICAL AMPLIFIER WITH UNIDIRECTIONAL COMPENSATION OF CHROMATIC DISPERSION AND OBSTRUCTION OF BACKSCATTERING”, composed by an EDFA, whose input/output stage is integrated by a circulator (6), and the amplification stage is composed by a pump laser (1) and an Erbium-doped fiber connected to a multiplexer (3), said amplifier, in which the optical signal undergoes an initial amplification while passing through the Erbium-doped fiber on the way through the fiber and a second amplification on the way back of the same fiber, presents, after the amplification stage, at least one dispersion compensating fiber (11), whose input and output are connected to the free extremity of the Erbium-doped fiber (2), through at least one device (12) arranged in the circuit in order to prevent the backscattering generated in the dispersion compensating fiber (11) from returning to the Erbium-doped fiber (2) and to allow the signal to travel through the dispersion compensating fiber (11) only once and in one directi

Abstract: An optical transmission system that can reduce a difference of Raman gain between each of upstream and downstream lines, in a system configuration in which Raman amplification is performed for both the upstream and downstream lines by a common Raman amplifier. Transmission sections are provided for both the upstream and downstream lines, and when pumping light, generated by a common pumping light source, is supplied to the transmission sections of the one line and the transmission sections of the other line, the negative dispersion fibers having different wavelength dispersion values are applied to the positive and negative hybrid transmission paths used for the transmission sections of each line, so that the length of each negative dispersion fiber is made substantially equal to each other.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and system for controlling power transients in a Raman-amplified optical transmission system includes, in response to the detection of a power transient in an optical signal, varying the gain of at least one dispersion compensating module (DCM) in the Raman-amplified optical transmission system to correct for a change in signal power caused by the power transient.

Abstract: An apparatus for transporting an optical signal is provided. The apparatus includes sections of optical fiber span with at least one section negative dispersion, negative slope fiber positioned at a distance from the output. A pump light emitting device optically coupled to the optical fiber span near the output is provided for generating an amplification signal.

Abstract: Disclosed is dispersion-compensated erbium-doped fiber amplifier.

Abstract: Optical systems of the present invention includes power sources that provide dedicated and shared power to a plurality of optical amplification sections. In various embodiments, multiple optical pump sources are provided the include a plurality of optical sources, which supply dedicated optical pump power and shared optical pump power to two or more optical amplification sections. In other embodiments, remote dispersion compensation is performed and Raman amplification is provided to overcome at least a portion of the loss.

Abstract: A variable optical fiber grating is provided which is compact, and in which an amount of chromatic dispersion can be effectively varied without changing an operating center wavelength. Also provided is a dispersion compensator, which uses this variable optical fiber grating. The fixing member is formed by providing an outer cylinder 2 comprising a material with a lower coefficient of linear expansion around an inner cylinder 1 comprising a material with a higher coefficient of linear expansion, and an optical fiber grating is fixed in a groove 3 formed on the inner cylinder 1. By adjusting the fixing position of the optical fiber grating, an expansion coefficient and contraction coefficient of the optical fiber grating which follows the expansion and contraction of the material with the higher coefficient of linear expansion, differ along the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber grating, so that an amount of chromatic dispersion is controlled.

Abstract: Light input from a single-mode fiber is collected into linear light beams by a line focuser, and collected on a VIPA element. A light beam output from the VIPA element is made to pass through a space filter having a predetermined transmission loss characteristic, and focused on a mirror with a focusing lens. The light is reflected by the mirror, again passes through the space filter via the focusing lens, enters the VIPA element, and again enters the single-mode fiber via the line focuser. The insertion loss wavelength characteristic of the wavelength dispersion compensator using the VIPA element is optimized by being superimposed on the transmission loss characteristic of the space filter.

Abstract: Disclosed is a dispersion-compensating, Raman optical fiber amplifier used in an optical communications system of the type having an optical transmission block for transmitting wavelength division multiplexed optical signals through a fiber and an optical receiving block for receiving the optical signals through the fiber.

Abstract: An optical amplifier, or optical repeater, for amplifying wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) light. A first demultiplexer demultiplexes the WDM light into first and second lights corresponding to different wavelengths in the WDM light. First and second optical amplifiers amplify the first and second lights, respectively. A first multiplexer multiplexes the amplified first and second lights into a multiplexed light. A dispersion compensator compensates for dispersion in the multiplexed light. A second demultiplexer demultiplexes the dispersion compensated, multiplexed light into the first and second lights. Third and fourth optical amplifiers amplify the demultiplexed first and second lights, respectively. A second multiplexer multiplexes the amplified first and second lights from the third and fourth optical amplifiers into a WDM light. The optical amplifier can be configured so that the first and second lights travel through the dispersion compensator in opposite directions.

Abstract: A low-noise optical fiber amplifier for performing a long-distance optical transmission in a wavelength division multiplexing optical transmission apparatus is provided. This amplifier includes a first optical fiber amplifier having a pre-stage optical fiber, and a first coupler for supplying pump light to the pre-stage optical fiber; a dispersion compensating Raman amplifier (DCRA) connected to the first optical fiber amplifier and having a dispersion compensating optical fiber (DCF) that compensates for the dispersion accumulated in an optical line and generates a Raman gain, and a second coupler for supplying Raman pump light onto the DCF; and a second optical fiber amplifier connected to the DCRA, and including a post-stage optical fiber and a third coupler for supplying pump light onto the post-stage optical fiber. Accordingly, this optical fiber amplifier is used for terrestrial WDM optical transmission, and thus has remarkably low noise figure compared to the existing optical amplifiers.

Abstract: A discrete optical amplifier system is disclosed comprising a Dispersion Compensating Fiber (DCF), a first order pump system, and a second order pump system. The first order pump system is set to a first power and is configured to backward pump onto the DCF. The second order pump system is set to a second power and is configured to forward pump onto the DCF. One or both of the first power and the second power are set based on a power ratio. The first and second pump systems generate a gain in an optical signal traveling on the DCF. The power ratio, the first power, and the second power are set to generate a low noise figure for the gain in the optical signal, and are set to distribute the gain along the DCF to reduce fiber non-linearities affecting the optical signal while traveling over the DCF.

Abstract: An optical amplifying apparatus which includes an optical amplifier, an optical attenuator and a controller. The optical amplifier amplifies a light signal having a variable number of channels. The optical attenuator passes the amplified light signal and has a variable light transmissivity. Prior to varying the number of channels in the light signal, the controller varies the light transmissivity of the optical attenuator so that a power level of the amplified light signal is maintained at an approximately constant level that depends on the number of channels in the light signal prior to the varying the number of channels. While the number of channels in the light signal is being varied, the controller maintains the light transmissivity of the optical attenuator to be constant.

Abstract: There is provided a non-linear optical device for enhancing the bandwidth accessible in the nonlinear generation of an optical signal. The device comprises a planar optical waveguide, the planar optical waveguide being operative to generate an optical output from an optical input having an input bandwidth by means of a non-linear optical process, the optical output having a wavelength within an accessible bandwidth, wherein the planar optical waveguide is operative to enhance the accessible bandwidth such that the ratio of the accessible bandwidth to the input bandwidth is at least 4. The device is particularly applicable to broad optical continuum generation, but may also be used in a parametric oscillator or amplifier arrangement with broad tuning range.

Abstract: A system includes an electro-absorptive modulator having opposing surfaces, a first semiconductor optical amplifier having opposing surfaces, a photodetector having opposing surfaces, a second semiconductor optical amplifier having opposing surfaces, a microwave link, and an optical resonator. One of the opposing surfaces of the first semiconductor optical amplifier is coupled to one of the opposing surfaces of the electro-absorptive modulator. One of the opposing surfaces of the second semiconductor optical amplifier is coupled to one of the opposing surfaces of the photodetector. The microwave link is coupled between the photodetector and the electro-absorptive modulator. The optical resonator is for coupling evanescent components of light propagated between the first semiconductor optical amplifier and the second semiconductor optical amplifier.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for compensating, in the electrical domain, for chromatic dispersion of an optical signal is disclosed. An optical signal is converted to an electrical signal comprised of components which are recoverable and components which are not directly recoverable. A first approximation of the output is derived by applying a transfer function to the electrical signal. The components of the electrical signal which are not directly recoverable are then estimated by applying a second transfer function to the first approximation. After removing these components a second approximation of the output is obtained by re-applying the first transfer function to the result. The optical signal may have a suitably small extinction ratio to improve compensation. The square root of the electrical signal may be taken to improve compensation. A better approximation may be achieved by re-applying the above method iteratively.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for modifying the extinction ratio of a modulated optical signal by adapting a modulator driver signal in response to differences in spectral regions of the modulated optical signal. In another embodiment for modifying the extinction ratio of a modulated optical signal, a modulator signal is adapted in response to differences between a profile of the modulated optical signal and a desired profile.

Abstract: An optical preamplifier with an amplification unit is for amplifying an optical signal and compensating dispersion of the optical signal after receiving the optical signal from an optical transmitter, and thereof for supplying the optical signal to an optical receiver.

Abstract: Disclosed is a dispersion-compensated optical-fiber amplifier including a circulator for outputting an optical signal received at a first terminal to a second terminal, while outputting an optical signal received at the second terminal to a third terminal; a first amplifier for amplifying the optical signal from the second terminal and an optical signal reapplied thereto; a dispersion-compensating fiber for compensating for a dispersion occurring in the optical signal received from the first amplifier and an optical signal reapplied thereto; a second amplifier for amplifying the optical signal from the dispersion-compensating fiber and an optical signal reapplied thereto; a splitter installed on the dispersion-compensating fiber and adapted to output to the dispersion-compensating fiber, an optical signal applied thereto and an optical signal reapplied thereto, while outputting a pumping light applied to one end thereof and adapted to pump both the first and second amplifiers to the other end thereof without

Abstract: A Raman amplifier according to the present invention comprises a plurality of pumping means using semiconductor lasers of Fabry-Perot, DFB, or DBR type or MOPAs, and pumping lights outputted from the pumping means have different central wavelengths, and interval between the adjacent central wavelength is greater than 6 nm and smaller than 35 nm. An optical repeater according to the present invention comprises the above-mentioned Raman amplifier and adapted to compensate loss in an optical fiber transmission line by the Raman amplifier. In a Raman amplification method according to the present invention, the shorter the central wavelength of the pumping light the higher light power of said pumping light.

Abstract: An optical fiber amplifier capable of compensating dispersion and loss of an optical signal in transmission along an optical fiber includes an optical fiber doped with erbium ions and having a dispersion compensating function. The amplifier further includes an erbium pump for performing forward pumping to the optical fiber, and a Raman pump for performing backward pumping to the optical fiber which is forward-pumped by the erbium pump means. When an optical signal passes through the optical fiber which undergoes density inversion of erbium ions and Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS), dispersion and loss of the optical signal is compensated.

Abstract: Disclosed is a reflective optical amplifier for dispersion compensation that prevents undesired distortion caused by Rayleigh scattering generated from a DCF from being amplified in an optical fiber amplifier. More particularly, the reflective dispersion-compensation optical amplifier includes an amplifier having a first reflector to amplify, reflect and amplify the reflected optical signal; a dispersion compensator having a second reflector perform dispersion compensation of the amplified optical signal from the amplifier, reflect the dispersion-compensated optical signal using the second reflector, and perform a dispersion compensation on the reflected optical signal; and an optical path switching unit to transmit the input optical signal to the amplifier, transmit the output optical signal of the amplifier to the dispersion compensator, and generate an optical signal dispersion-compensated by the dispersion compensator.

Abstract: The optical transmission system in accordance with the present invention is an optical transmission system in which an optical fiber transmission line is laid between a transmitting station and a receiving station, first and second optical couplers are provided on the optical fiber transmission line, a first Raman amplification pumping light source is connected to the first optical coupler, a second Raman amplification pumping light source is connected to the second optical coupler, the optical fiber transmission line Raman-amplifies signal light in S band when Raman amplification pumping light is supplied thereto while transmitting the signal light, and the optical fiber transmission line has a zero-dispersion wavelength of 1350 nm to 1440 nm and a cable cutoff wavelength of less than 1368 nm.

Abstract: In a distributed Raman amplification system, the pump laser and the fiber are chosen so as to have characteristics which result in broadening of the DRBS. For example, with a transmission fiber through which signal light of a wavelength &lgr;s propagates, and having zero dispersion at a wavelength &lgr;o; a pump laser producing counterpropagating pump light at a wavelength &lgr;p; where &lgr;p and &lgr;s are on opposite sides of the zero dispersion wavelength is used. The transmission fiber may be large effective area fiber. In a Raman amplification system suitable for use in a WDM optical fiber communication system, pump lasers having mode spacing which is less than the optical bandwidth of the signal channel have been found to be advantageous.

Abstract: An optical sending apparatus of this invention includes a plurality of optical signal generating sections, a dispersion compensating section and a wavelength multiplexing section. The dispersion compensating section performs compensation with a predetermined chromatic dispersion value to at least one of polarized light generated by the optical signal generating sections while a predetermined state of polarized light is maintained. The wavelength multiplexing section combines output light outputted from the optical signal generating section with output light passing through the dispersion compensating section so that the polarized light of adjacent wavelengths crosses orthogonal to each other. The optical sending apparatus having such a construction can generate high-density WDM optical signals, the dispersion of which is compensated in advance, by a polarization crossing method.

Abstract: An optical amplifier comprises a wavelength tunable filter, one or more optical gain stages, and a controller for controlling a spectral profile of the wavelength tunable filter in response to a measured spectral characteristic of the amplifier. The controller may also control gain of the gain stage(s). The controller determines the filter spectral profile necessary to obtain a desired amplifier spectral characteristic. The spectral characteristic may, for example, be a power spectral output of the amplifier or a gain profile of the amplifier. The amplifier may incorporate a dispersion compensator. The controller may control a spectral profile of the wavelength tunable filter and gain of the dispersion compensator. A tunable fiber light source is also described.

Abstract: Disclosed are an optical amplifier and an optical transmission system using the same in which not only can the dispersion of optical waveguide paths for optical amplification be easily and sufficiently compensated, but also the waveform degradation of signal light can be restrained. An optical amplifier according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises at least two erbium-doped fibers 10 and 20, having erbium doped to optically amplify signal light with the pump light, and having dispersion different from each other in sign, and being connected together in series, and two pump light sources 11 and 12 for supplying pump light to them.

Abstract: Fiber-based dispersion compensation elements are provided for use in optical amplifiers and other optical network equipment that handle optical data signals in fiber-optic communications links. The dispersion compensation elements may include chirped superstructure fiber gratings. Systems and method for fabricating the dispersion compensation elements using ultraviolet light are provided.

Abstract: An optical amplifier comprises: (i) an input port for providing optical signal to the amplifier; (ii) an output port for providing amplified optical signal out of the amplifier; (iii) at least two optical fibers, one optical fiber having positive dispersion D1 of greater than 10 ps/nm/km in a 1550 nm to 1620 nm wavelength range, the other fiber having negative dispersion D2 of less than −5 ps/nm/km in a 1550 nm to 1620 nm wavelength range, wherein the length of each of said optical fiber is chosen to provide the amplifier with a predetermined amount of dispersion.

Abstract: A broadband nonlinear polarization amplifier includes an input port for inputting an optical signal having a wavelength &lgr;. A distributed gain medium receives and amplifiers the optical signal through nonlinear polarization. The distributed gain medium has zero-dispersion at wavelength &lgr;0. A magnitude of dispersion at &lgr; is less than 50 ps/nm-km. One or more semiconductor lasers are operated at wavelengths &lgr;p for generating a pump light to pump the distributed gain medium. An output port outputs the amplified optical signal.

Abstract: An amplifier system includes: (i) a distributed Raman fiber amplifier and; (ii) a discrete Raman fiber amplifier that includes dispersion compensated fiber. The discrete Raman fiber amplifier is operatively connected to the distributed Raman fiber amplifier and amplifies signals received from the distributed Raman fiber amplifier. In one embodiment, at least one source of pump signal is coupled to the distributed and to the discrete Raman fiber amplifier. The distributed Raman fiber amplifier and the discrete Raman fiber amplifier in this embodiment share optical pump power provided by the shared pump. In one embodiment of the present invention an Erbium doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) is operatively connected to a discrete Raman fiber amplifier and the Erbium dope fiber amplifier amplifies signals received from the discrete Raman fiber amplifier.

Abstract: A pumped Raman fiber optic amplifier includes two optical fibers whose lengths are determined so that the fibers exhibit dispersions of substantially equal magnitude and opposite sign at the wavelength of an input light signal. The fiber having the positive dispersion has a cylindrical core, an outer cladding, and a refractive index profile with respect to the outer cladding. The core has a diameter of between 3 and 6 microns (&mgr;m) and a difference (&Dgr;n) between the index of the core and the cladding is between 0.015 and 0.035. The index profile includes a trench region adjacent the circumference of the core, and the trench region has a width of between 1 and 4 &mgr;m and a &Dgr;n of between −0.005 and −0.015. The two fibers are slope matched so that the net dispersion of the amplifier remains substantially zero over a broad wavelength interval.

Abstract: An optical amplifier and optical amplifier arrangement with reduced cross phase modulation wherein in an active fiber of the optical amplifier, the fiber being doped with ions of elements from the group of rare earths, in order to reduce the cross phase modulation of the optical amplifier, at least one active fiber section is allocated a dispersion coefficient having a high magnitude, in which the optical transmission signal to be amplified assumes a high signal level.

Abstract: Disclosed is dispersion-compensated erbium-doped fiber amplifier.

Abstract: An optical dispersion compensator includes a saturable absorber. Coupled to the saturable absorber is a pre-amplifier and a post-amplifier. The saturable absorber compresses optical pulse signals based upon the amplitude envelope of the optical pulse in order to prevent optical dispersion.

Abstract: Disclosed is a dispersion-compensating, Raman optical fiber amplifier used in an optical communications system of the type having an optical transmission block for transmitting wavelength division multiplexed optical signals through a fiber and an optical receiving block for receiving the optical signals through the fiber.

Abstract: Light input from a single-mode fiber is collected into linear light beams by a line focuser, and collected on a VIPA element. A light beam output from the VIPA element is made to pass through a space filter having a predetermined transmission loss characteristic, and focused on a mirror with a focusing lens. The light is reflected by the mirror, again passes through the space filter via the focusing lens, enters the VIPA element, and again enters the single-mode fiber via the line focuser. The insertion loss wavelength characteristic of the wavelength dispersion compensator using the VIPA element is optimized by being superimposed on the transmission loss characteristic of the space filter.

Abstract: Disclosed is a dispersion compensating optical regenerator that provides for enhanced performance of telecommunication systems employing varying-soliton signal propagation and dispersion compensation. Allowing the solitons to change in amplitude, width and shape while traversing the dispersion compensating optical regenerator provides for beneficial system performance including improved signal to noise ratio at the receiver, reduced impact of signal interactions, and longer regenerator spacing. The regenerator in accord with the invention combines the filtering features of a NOLM or NALM with the advantageous effects of dispersion compensation.