Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01S—DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
  • H01S3/00—Lasers, i.e. devices using stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet wave range
  • H01S3/09—Processes or apparatus for excitation, e.g. pumping
  • H01S3/091—Processes or apparatus for excitation, e.g. pumping using optical pumping
  • H01S3/094—Processes or apparatus for excitation, e.g. pumping using optical pumping by coherent light
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01S—DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
  • H01S3/00—Lasers, i.e. devices using stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet wave range
  • H01S3/05—Construction or shape of optical resonators; Accommodation of active medium therein; Shape of active medium
  • H01S3/06—Construction or shape of active medium
  • H01S3/063—Waveguide lasers, i.e. whereby the dimensions of the waveguide are of the order of the light wavelength
  • H01S3/067—Fibre lasers
  • H01S3/06754—Fibre amplifiers
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
  • G02B6/10—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type
  • G02B6/12—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type of the integrated circuit kind
  • G02B2006/12133—Functions
  • G02B2006/1215—Splitter
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01S—DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
  • H01S3/00—Lasers, i.e. devices using stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet wave range
  • H01S3/09—Processes or apparatus for excitation, e.g. pumping
  • H01S3/091—Processes or apparatus for excitation, e.g. pumping using optical pumping
  • H01S3/094—Processes or apparatus for excitation, e.g. pumping using optical pumping by coherent light
  • H01S3/094003—Processes or apparatus for excitation, e.g. pumping using optical pumping by coherent light the pumped medium being a fibre
  • H01S3/094011—Processes or apparatus for excitation, e.g. pumping using optical pumping by coherent light the pumped medium being a fibre with bidirectional pumping, i.e. with injection of the pump light from both two ends of the fibre
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01S—DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
  • H01S3/00—Lasers, i.e. devices using stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet wave range
  • H01S3/09—Processes or apparatus for excitation, e.g. pumping
  • H01S3/091—Processes or apparatus for excitation, e.g. pumping using optical pumping
  • H01S3/094—Processes or apparatus for excitation, e.g. pumping using optical pumping by coherent light
  • H01S3/0941—Processes or apparatus for excitation, e.g. pumping using optical pumping by coherent light of a laser diode

Definitions

• TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an optical pump device with several output channels and the use of the pump device in a device.
• Technical field optical amplification.
• the invention finds applications in all fields requiring several optical pumps and more particularly in the field of optical telecommunications and for example for optical amplifiers.
• optical systems requiring several optical pumps use independent pump sources optically connected, independently to elements of the optical system.
• the cost of such a system is all the more important as the number of independent pump sources is important, moreover, the compactness and the reliability of the assembly are all the less good as the number of independent sources is important .
• the present invention aims to provide an optical pump device with several output channels using a single pump source.
• Other objects of the invention are also to propose an optical pump device with several output channels which is compact, reliable and of low cost.
• Another object of the invention is also to propose the use of such an optical pump device with several output channels, in an optical amplification device.
• the invention provides an optical pump device comprising a pump source optically connected to an optical divider comprising an input channel and n output channels.
• the n output channels of the divider form the n output channels of the pump device and are able to supply n pump waves.
• the optical divider being made of optics integrated in a substrate, the input channel is an input guide, the n output channels are formed by n output guides, the input guide being connected to the n output guides, by at least one optical element chosen from an optical coupler or a Y junction.
• the pump device of the invention is able to be connected to at least one optical amplifier.
• An optical amplifier according to the invention corresponds to any active element capable of being pumped optically by the pump waves.
• the divider comprises more than two optical elements such as couplers or Y junctions which are cascades in order to obtain the n output channels.
• the n output channels are either identical in order to allow the production of a divider with n symmetrical channels or different in order to produce a divider with n asymmetrical channels.
• the pump source emits a pump wave S which is introduced into the inlet channel of the pump device. This pump wave may have one or more wavelengths (generally equal (s) when used in an optical amplifier doped with erbium at for example 980 nm and / or 1480 nm).
• This pump wave S is divided into several pump waves Si, S 2 .... S n by the divider, these pump waves conveyed respectively by the n output channels all have the same power in the case of use d 'a symmetrical divider or different powers when using an' asymmetrical divider. In the case of an asymmetrical divider, some of the output channels can however convey the same power.
• An asymmetric divider can be obtained in the case of the use of one or more couplers, by playing on the interaction length of at least one coupler and / or on the section of the different output channels of at least a coupler.
• An asymmetrical divider can be obtained in the case of the use of o several Y junctions by playing on the section of the exit channels of at least one junction and / or on the angle between the exit channels of minus a junction and the optical axis of the junction entry path.
• the divider is produced in integrated optics and in particular by the techniques of ion exchange in the glass.
• the pump source of the pump device is either connected by an optical fiber to the input channel of the divider, or, when the divider is made in integrated optics, transferred directly to the substrate of the divider, or even partly made in this one .
• the pump source is capable of emitting a pump wave at a single wavelength or at several wavelengths.
• the pump source When the pump source emits a wave at several wavelengths, it comprises for example several sub-sources capable of emitting respectively one of the wavelengths of the source, the different sub-sources being optically connected to a multiplexing device , capable of transmitting to the input channel of the pump device of the invention a pump wave S comprising said wavelengths.
• the different sub-sources and the associated multiplexing device form a single source.
• the multiplexing device delivers a pump wave at m wavelengths.
• the multiplexing device comprises at least one optical element such as a coupler or a Y junction; if m> 2 then the elements are cascades.
• the device for multiplexing the pump source is integrated in the same substrate as the divider, the sub-sources being transferred to said substrate or connected to the multiplexing device by optical fibers.
• the invention also relates to the use of the pump device in an optical amplification device, the latter comprising: an optical pump device comprising a pump source optically connected to an optical divider comprising an input channel and n output channels, at least one optical amplifier connected on the one hand to the pump device and on the other hand to a device for introducing a signal E to be amplified and to a device for recovering the amplified signal F.
• an optical pump device comprising a pump source optically connected to an optical divider comprising an input channel and n output channels
• at least one optical amplifier connected on the one hand to the pump device and on the other hand to a device for introducing a signal E to be amplified and to a device for recovering the amplified signal F.
• the optical amplifier is either a fiber amplifier or an integrated optical amplifier. In the latter case, it can be produced in the same substrate (which is in the generally doped amplifying part) as the pump device or on another substrate which may be transferred, for example by bonding to the substrate of the pump device.
• this comprises: an optical pump device comprising a pump source optically connected to an optical divider comprising an input channel and two output channels, - an optical amplifier comprising an input linked on the one hand to one of the exit channels of the pump device and on the other hand to the device for introducing the signal E to be amplified and an output connected on the one hand to the other output channel of the pump device and on the other hand to the device for recovering the amplified signal F .
• the introduction device and the recovery device respectively comprise a guide and / or a fiber and a multiplexer such as a coupler.
• the device for introducing the signal E to be amplified advantageously comprises a first optical guide and a first coupler formed in the same substrate as the pump device, said coupler being formed by approximation of the first optical guide and one of the output channels of the pump device, the first optical guide being capable of receiving the signal E to be amplified which is transmitted by the coupler to said output channel of the pump device, said channel then conveying the signal E and part of the pump wave S to the input of the amplifier.
• the input of the amplifier is therefore connected to the device for introducing the signal E to be amplified by one of the output channels of the pump wave.
• the device for recovering the amplified signal F advantageously comprises a second optical guide and a second coupler formed in the same substrate as the pump device, said coupler being formed speak approximation of the second optical guide and one of the outlet channels of the pump device.
• the signal F amplified in the amplifier is transmitted via the output channel of a part of the pump wave and the second coupler, to the second optical guide, the latter is able to output the amplified signal F.
• the signal F is conveyed against the pump wave on the output channel of the pump device, the output of the amplifier being connected to the device for recovering the amplified signal F by one of the pump device outlet.
• the pump of the invention is operable also in an amplification device comprising an array of optical amplifiers, the amplifying device comprising: an optical pump device comprising a pump source coupled optically to an optical divider having one input channel and h output channels, at least n / 2 optical amplifiers, each amplifier having two ends, at least one of its ends being optically connected to one of the output channels of the pump device, one of the ends of the the amplifier being further connected to a device for introducing a signal to be amplified and the other end of the amplifier being connected to a device for recovering the amplified signal.
• an optical pump device comprising a pump source coupled optically to an optical divider having one input channel and h output channels, at least n / 2 optical amplifiers, each amplifier having two ends, at least one of its ends being optically connected to one of the output channels of the pump device, one of the ends of the the amplifier being further connected to a device for introducing a signal to be amplified and the other end of the amplifier being connected to a device for recovering
• the latter comprises a pump device with n output channels and n optical amplifiers, one end of each amplifier being connected to one of the output channels of the pump device and to a device for introducing a signal to be amplified and the other end of the amplifier being connected to a device for recovering the amplified signal.
• the recovery device does not include a coupler or more generally a multiplexer to recover the amplified signal from the output channel of the pump device.
• the introduction device comprises a guide and / or a fiber and a multiplexer such as a coupler, as described above.
• the latter comprises a pump device with n output channels and n / 2 optical amplifiers, one of the ends of each amplifier being connected to one of the output channels of the pump device and a device for introducing a signal to be amplified and the other end of the amplifier being connected to another output channel of the pump device and to a device for recovering the amplified signal.
• the introduction and recovery devices respectively comprise a guide and / or a fiber and a multiplexer.
• FIG. 1 schematically represents a pump device according to the invention with two output channels using • a divider produced in integrated optics
• FIG. 4 shows . schematically a pump device according to the invention used in an amplification device with an amplifier
• FIG. 5 diagrammatically illustrates an example of a pump source usable in a pump device according to the invention
• FIG. 6 schematically illustrates a pump device according to the invention used in an amplification device comprising a matrix of optical amplifiers
• FIG. 7 schematically shows another example of a pump device according to the invention used with a matrix of optical amplifiers. Detailed description of methods of implementing the invention
• Figure 1 schematically shows a first embodiment of an optical pump device according to the invention.
• This device comprises a pump source 2 optically connected to an optical divider 1 comprising an input channel 3 and two output channels referenced respectively 5, 7.
• the channels 3, 5 and 7 are produced in this example by optical guides, the divider being produced in optics integrated in a substrate 9.
• an optical guide consists of a central part generally called the heart and surrounding media located all around the heart and which may be identical to each other or different.
• the refractive index of the medium making up the heart must be different and in most cases higher than that of the surrounding media.
• the guides are generally guides capable of confining the light in the two directions transverse to the direction of propagation of the light.
• the guide will be likened to its central part or core.
• all or part of the surrounding media will be called a substrate, it being understood that when the guide is not or only slightly buried, one of the surrounding media may be outside the substrate and be, for example, air.
• the substrate can be monolayer or multilayer.
• an optical guide in a substrate can be more or less buried in this substrate and in particular comprise guide portions buried at variable depths. This is particularly true in ion exchange technology in glass.
• the pump source 2 of the pump device is connected directly to the inlet of the channel 3 of the divider, by transferring the source 2 to the substrate 9 for example by gluing.
• the source is then connected, as will be seen in FIG. 4, to the input channel 3 of the divider by a fiber maintained at the substrate 9 either by a ferrule or by a block of "V".
• the divider shown in Figure 1 is a Y junction referenced 1.
• the pump wave S emitted by the source 2 is conveyed by the input channel 3, it is then divided into two waves S and S 2 by the divider 1; these two waves are then transported respectively by channels 5 and 7.
• These two waves Si and S 2 can have the same power if the divider is symmetrical or a different power if the divider is asymmetrical.
• FIG. 2 precisely represents a divider usable in the pump device of the invention with four output channels for 1 input channel.
• the divider has been shown alone, without substrate.
• This divider has three Y junctions: a first Y junction referenced 1 connected on the one hand to the input channel 3 and on the other hand to the two channels 5 and 7.
• Each of channels 5 and 7 respectively forms the entrance to a new Y junction referenced 10
• junction 10 has two new exit routes 11 and 13 and Junction 12 also has two new exit routes 15 and
• the pump wave S introduced in the input channel 3 is divided a first time by the junction 1 then again in the junctions 10 and 12.
• the pump device of FIG. 2 makes it possible to obtain at the output of the four channels 11, 13, 15 and 17 respectively the pump waves Si, S 2 , S 3 and S 4 .
• FIG. 3 represents an alternative embodiment of a divider with four output channels usable in the pump device of the invention.
• This divider uses cascade couplers, it can be produced as well in optics integrated by guides in a substrate (not shown) as by optical fibers (each coupler then being produced by the local fusion of two fibers). More precisely, the divider shown in this example comprises three cascade couplers.
• a first coupler referenced 30 is formed by the channels 5 and 7 which are separated, over a given interaction length, by a distance such that part of the light wave S, conveyed by the input channel 3, passed in the output channel 5 while the rest of the wave is conveyed by the channel 7 which is an extension of the channel 3.
• the channel 5 then becomes the input channel of the second coupler 31 and channel 7 becomes the input channel of the third coupler 32.
• Channel 13 is an extension of channel 5 and channel 15 is an extension of channel 7.
• the part of the wave conveyed by channel 5 is divided by the coupler 31, which makes it possible to obtain at the output of the coupler 31, respectively on channels 11 and 13, the pump waves Si and S 2 .
• the part of the wave conveyed by channel 7 is divided by the coupler 32, which makes it possible to obtain, at the output of the coupler 32, respectively on channels 15 and 17, the pump waves S 3 and S 4 .
• FIG. 4 illustrates a pump device according to the invention, used in an amplification device with an optical amplifier.
• This optical amplification device comprises: a pump device comprising for example a source 2 of fiber pump, optically connected to an optical divider made of optics integrated in a substrate 9, and comprising an input channel 3 capable of conveying the pump wave S from the source 2 and two output channels 5 and 7 each capable of conveying part of the pump wave (channel 5 conveys part of the wave referenced Si and channel 7 conveys the other part of the wave referenced S 2 ), an optical amplifier of the amplifying fiber type 40, this amplifier comprising a first end has optically connected to channel 5 and a second end b optically connected to channel 7; the first end of the amplifying fiber being further connected to a device for introducing a .
• a pump device comprising for example a source 2 of fiber pump, optically connected to an optical divider made of optics integrated in a substrate 9, and comprising an input channel 3 capable of conveying the pump wave S from the source 2 and two output channels 5 and 7 each capable of conveying part of the pump wave (channel 5 conveys part of the wave referenced
• the device for introducing the signal E to be amplified is produced in this example in the same substrate as the device for pump and comprises a first optical guide 41 and a first coupler 43. This coupler is formed by bringing the first optical guide and the outlet channel 5 of the pump device closer together, the output of the coupler is produced by an extension of the channel 5 which then carries the signal E and the pump wave Si to the input a of the amplifier.
• the input of the amplifier is connected to the device for introducing the signal E to be amplified by one of the output channels of the pump wave.
• the device for recovering the signal F advantageously comprises a second optical guide 45 and a second coupler 47 also formed in this example, in the same substrate as the pump device, said coupler being formed by bringing the second optical guide and one of the outlet channels 7 of the pump device; the input of the coupler for the amplified signal F is produced by channel 7 which then carries the wave F against the opposite of the pump wave S 2 (channel 7 being connected to the end b of the amplifier which delivers signal F).
• the amplified signal F leaves the amplifier and it is transmitted via the output channel 7 of the pump wave S 2 to the second coupler.
• the latter is able to transmit to the guide 45 this amplified signal F.
• the output b of the amplifier is connected to the device for recovering the amplified signal F. via the output channel 7 of the pump device.
• the signal E is introduced into the guide 41 by any known means and for example in the field of optical telecommunications, by a standard fiber of a telecommunications network.
• the signal F is recovered at the output of the guide 45 by any known means and for example in the field of optical telecommunications, also by a standard fiber of a telecommunications network.
• these means for introducing the signal E and recovering the signal F are optically connected to the guides 41 or 45 either by optical fibers via connection means such as that blocks of "v" or ferrules is directly by transferring said means to the substrate, or even by a free space.
• the S wave a power wave 120mW and wavelength 980nm, a symmetrical divider 1 able to supply on the one hand a pump wave Si of about 60m and 980nm wavelength and on the other hand, a pump wave S 2 also about 60m and 980nm wavelength.
• the E wave introduced has for example a power of -15dBm and a wavelength of 1550 nm and the recovered F wave has a power of 15dBm and a wavelength of 1550 nm for an amplifying fiber 40 doped with l 'erbium of about 5 to 10m.
• FIG. 5 represents an example of a pump source 2 comprising two sub-sources, in an amplification device of the same type as that of FIG. 4.
• the pump source 2 is able to emit a wave of pump S at two wavelengths.
• it includes a sub-source capable of emitting a wave S a at a given wavelength ⁇ a , for example 980nm and another sub-source capable of emitting an S b wave at another wavelength ⁇ b , for example 1480nm, the various sub-sources being connected optically by any known means to a multiplexing device 50
• the different sub-sources and the associated multiplexing device form a single source.
• the pump source multiplexing device and its input channels are integrated in the same substrate as the divider, the sub-sources being transferred to said substrate or connected to the multiplexing device by optical fibers .
• FIG. 6, schematically illustrates by way of example, a pump device according to the invention used in a matrix amplification device with two optical amplifiers.
• each amplifier uses two pump pumping waves, therefore for two amplifiers referenced 51 and 52, the pump device must have four outputs.
• This pump device is of the same type as that shown in FIG. 2. It has three Y junctions referenced 1, 10, 12 in cascade, an input channel 3 capable of receiving the pump wave S and four output channels 11, 13, 15 and 17 respectively carrying the pump waves Si, S 2 , S 3 and S 4 .
• Each amplifier is associated with a device for introducing the signal to be amplified and with a device for recovering the amplified signal which, for example, are of the same type as those represented in FIG. 4 and which bear the same reference numbers 1 for the amplifier 51 and indexed 2 for amplifier 52.
• the guide (41) _ carrying the signal E x to be amplified is coupled by the coupler (43) i to the output channel 11 carrying the pump wave Si; the output channel 13 carrying the pump wave S 2 and the signal Fi amplified in the opposite direction from S 2 , is coupled by the coupler (47) i to the guide (45) x so that the latter receives the signal Fi; the guide (41) 2 conveying the signal E 2 to be amplified is coupled by the coupler (43) 2 to the output channel 15 conveying the pump wave S 3 ; and finally, the output channel 17 carrying the pump wave S 4 and the signal F 2 amplified in the opposite direction to S 4 , is coupled by the coupler (47) 2 to the • guide (45) 2 so that the latter receives the signal F.
• FIG. 7 schematically represents another example of a pump device according to the invention used in a matrix amplification device also with two optical amplifiers.
• two amplifiers 61, 62 are shown, for example also of the amplifying fiber type, using only one pump wave respectively.
• the pump device used in this example therefore only comprises, for this application, two output channels capable of respectively delivering the pump waves Si, S 2 , from the S wave introduced at the input of the device and this thanks to the use of a single divider 1.
• each amplifier 61 (respectively 62) - is associated with a device for introducing the signal E x (respectively E 2 ) to be amplified and with a device for recovering the amplified signal Fi (respectively F 2 ).
• the introduction devices are produced in the same substrate as the pump device and are of the same type as those described above: the recovery devices are not integrated, they are formed by the end of the amplifying fibers which deliver the signals Fi , F 2 .
• the preceding figures illustrate the use of a pump device produced in integrated optics with one or more amplifiers not integrated but of course the invention applies to the use of a pump device produced or not in integrated optics with an amplifier or an amplifier matrix made or not in integrated optics.
• the pump device and the amplifier (s) are produced in integrated optics, they can be produced on independent supports and optionally transferred together or on the same support.

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• 2001
  • 2001-11-05 FR FR0114260A patent/FR2831999A1/fr not_active Withdrawn
• 2002
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  • 2002-11-04 US US10/494,324 patent/US6944376B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2002-11-04 CA CA002465841A patent/CA2465841A1/fr not_active Abandoned
  • 2002-11-04 WO PCT/FR2002/003767 patent/WO2003040765A2/fr not_active Ceased

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