WO1993007664A1 - An optical amplifier - Google Patents
An optical amplifier Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO1993007664A1 WO1993007664A1 PCT/GB1992/001808 GB9201808W WO9307664A1 WO 1993007664 A1 WO1993007664 A1 WO 1993007664A1 GB 9201808 W GB9201808 W GB 9201808W WO 9307664 A1 WO9307664 A1 WO 9307664A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- waveguide
- optical
- grating
- optical amplifier
- fibre
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Ceased
Links
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
- H01S3/10—Controlling the intensity, frequency, phase, polarisation or direction of the emitted radiation, e.g. switching, gating, modulating or demodulating
- H01S3/10007—Controlling the intensity, frequency, phase, polarisation or direction of the emitted radiation, e.g. switching, gating, modulating or demodulating in optical amplifiers
- H01S3/10023—Controlling the intensity, frequency, phase, polarisation or direction of the emitted radiation, e.g. switching, gating, modulating or demodulating in optical amplifiers by functional association of additional optical elements, e.g. filters, gratings, reflectors
-
- 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
- H01S2301/00—Functional characteristics
- H01S2301/04—Gain spectral shaping, flattening
Definitions
- This invention relates to an optical amplifier, and in particular to an optical amplifier which includes a doped optical waveguide for providing gain to optical signals propagating along the waveguide within an operating band of wavelengths.
- Optical amplifiers of this type are well known, and are very attractive devices for optical communications networks, particularly when based on optical fibre waveguides as they are readily spliced to fibres used for optical transmission. It appears likely that they will become widely used in place of opto-electronic repeaters in long distance optical fibre lengths, for example.
- Some such optical amplifiers have a gain peak within the gain spectrum.
- a gain spectrum which has a gain peak is not ideal where cascades of amplifiers are to be used as this may result in large differences in gain across the wavelength band. If such large differences are to be avoided, it is necessary to operate in a band of wavelengths which does not include a gain peak. This reduces the useful gain band of an optical amplifier.
- An object of the present invention is to provide an optical amplifier with a flatter gain spectrum.
- the present invention provides an optical amplifier including a first, doped optical waveguide for providing gain to optical signals propagating along the waveguide within an operating band of wavelengths, the waveguide having a gain peak within the operating band, characterised in that the first optical waveguide is optically coupled to a waveguide filter which comprises a second optical waveguide having an overlaid grating constructed and configured so that the waveguide filter provides loss in transmission substantially at the wavelength of the gain peak.
- the waveguide filter can provide flattening of the gain spectrum because the transmission profile of such a grating, overlaid on a waveguide, exhibits attenuation of optical signals to wavelengths shorter than the resonant reflection wavelength of the grating.
- the grating is configured to have a resonant reflection wavelength substantially equal to, or greater than, the wavelength of the gain peak, so that the short wavelength attenuation associated with the filter will provide attenuation to the gain peak, thereby producing a flatter gain spectrum.
- a grating which when used as a narrow-band reflection filter has a reflection bandwidth of say 1.28 Angstroms, to obtain satisfactory flattening over a relatively broad spectrum gain peak of 20nm for example.
- the grating is angled relative to the second waveguide so as to substantially suppress counter- propagating radiation at the resonant reflection wavelength of the grating.
- the operation of the amplifier is thus not disturbed by optical signals at the resonant reflection wavelength being reflected back into the first doped waveguide.
- Counter-propagating radiation is, in general, undesirable in an optical communications system since it requires optical sources in the system to be optically isolated, and may contribute to crosstalk in duplex systems.
- the effective pitch of the grating experienced by optical signals travelling in the waveguide will increase, This will cause the resonant reflection wavelength of the grating, that is the wavelength at which the Bragg condition is met, to increase, and the wavelength range at which optical radiation is coupled out of the second waveguide to decrease.
- the transmission loss of the waveguide filter can be chosen so as to optimize the gain spectrum of the amplifier.
- the optical amplifier may be made from a doped optical fibre but may be any other type of optical waveguide, for example a planar waveguide.
- a particularly convenient form of optical waveguide for the waveguide filter is an optical fibre having a substantially D-shaped cross-section (commonly and hereafter referred to as a "D-fibre" ).
- a substantially D-shaped cross-section commonly and hereafter referred to as a "D-fibre"
- Such a fibre has a planar surface close to the waveguiding core of the optical fibre so that an optical grating formed on this pl ⁇ anar surface or pressed against the surface will interact with an optical field propagating through the fibre to provide the required diffraction.
- the D-fibre may be mounted in a thermoplastic substrate. A method of so mounting a D-fibre is described in the applicant' s published patent application WO 89/11969 published 14th December 1989.
- the grating may be formed by etching the grating into a silica wafer using known electron beam lithography techniques, and the waveguide filter may then be formed by pressing the silica wafer against the waveguide.
- Figure 1 a graph of the spontaneous emission measurements on an erbium-doped fibre amplifier which forms part of the embodiment of Figure 2;
- Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an optical amplifier according to the present invention.
- Figure 3 is a graph showing the transmission characteristics of the grating filter of the embodiment of Figure 2.
- Figure 4 is a graph showing the gain spectrum of the optical amplifier of Figure 2.
- Figure 1 shows the gain spectrum of an erbium-doped optical fibre amplifier. This shows a gain peak centred at about 1.54 ⁇ m, the gain peak reducing the usable part of the gain spectrum to wavelengths longer than the long wavelength side of this gain peak, that is to about 20nm.
- Figure 2 shows a D-fibre 4, which may be made by removing a section of cladding from an optical fibre preform to leave a flat surface close to the core. This preform is then drawn to give a long length of single-mode fibre with a D-shaped cross-section. A short length (of the order of 20mm) of this D-fibre is then fusion spliced to a standard single-mode fibre 6, at a splice 7, and then press moulded, against a heated optical flat (not shown), into a polymer thermoplastic substrate 8, as described in the above-referenced patent application.
- a grating 10 (see Figure 2) is then defined using electron beam lithography on a silica wafer 9 coated in photoresist.
- the grating 10 is subsequently etched into the silica itself to give a surface relief structure with a depth of about 0.25 ⁇ m and a pitch of about 0.532 ⁇ m.
- the D-fibre substrate 8 is mounted in a brass package (not shown), and the grating is placed in contact with the flat surface of the fibre 4 at an angle of about 3°.
- a layer of ⁇ ilicone rubber is used between the grating 10 and the lid of the package so that the grating is pressed into contact with the fibre 4 when the lid is screwed down.
- Fibre grating devices such as couplers and reflection filters have been reported previously (see for example Yennadhiou, P and Cassidy, S A: "D-Fibre Grating Reflection Filters” OFC 1990).
- the grating lines are perpendicular to the fibre, and give a Bragg reflection which is coupled into the counter- propagating fibre mode.
- the grating of the present invention is used in transmission mode, and is configured to suppress the resonant reflection wavelength of the grating. Light at wavelengths shorter than the resonant reflection wavelength is coupled out of the fibre, either up through the grating itself into radiation modes, or down into cladding modes.
- the pitch of the grating is chosen to be about 0.532 ⁇ m to give a resonant reflection wavelength of about 1.54 ⁇ m when the grating lines are perpendicular to the waveguide.
- the resonant reflection wavelength is increased by about 2nm by rotating the grating by about 3° relative to the waveguide. At an angle of about 3° the counter-propagating radiation at the resonant reflection wavelength was found to be substantially supressed.
- Figure 3 shows the transmission characteristics of the waveguide filter of Figure 2, these characteristics being determined by monitoring the transmission of the filter using an ELED and optical spectrum analyser. Tuning of the resonant reflection wavelength results in a slight reduction of filter depth, because the interaction length of the grating (that is to say the length of the fibre in contact with the grating) is limited by its width, which in this case is approximately 1mm.
- a suitable filter transmission characteristic can be tested by measuring the spontaneous emission from a short length of the optical amplifier, in this case an erbium-doped silica fibre, pumped with a 980nm diode laser (not shown).
- Figure 4 shows the spectrum after the filter is spliced onto the end of the doped fibre.
- the filter has improved the flatness to within about 0.5 dB over a 30nm span.
- the excess loss of 4 to 6 dB is mostly due to D-fibre to circular fibre splice losses. This could be reduced, as a more typical loss for a D-fibre substrate is 2 dB.
- the preferred angle, of 3°, of the grating to the second waveguide is ultimately chosen for a particular type of amplifier and system by trial and error.
- the choice will depend, among other criteria, on the refractive index profile of the D-fibre, the structure of the grating, the distance of the core of the D-fibre from its planar surface, the type of doped waveguide, the wavelength of operation of the system, and the susceptibility of the system to counter-propagating radiation. It is estimated that the useful range of angles is from 1° to 10°.
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Electromagnetism (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
- Optics & Photonics (AREA)
- Lasers (AREA)
- Optical Communication System (AREA)
- Optical Integrated Circuits (AREA)
- Glass Compositions (AREA)
- Semiconductor Lasers (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (6)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP5506731A JPH06511571A (en) | 1991-10-01 | 1992-10-01 | optical amplifier |
| CA002119746A CA2119746C (en) | 1991-10-01 | 1992-10-01 | An optical amplifier |
| EP92920675A EP0606331B1 (en) | 1991-10-01 | 1992-10-01 | An optical amplifier |
| DE69218612T DE69218612T2 (en) | 1991-10-01 | 1992-10-01 | Optical amplifier |
| AU26479/92A AU659499B2 (en) | 1991-10-01 | 1992-10-01 | An optical amplifier |
| HK112997A HK112997A (en) | 1991-10-01 | 1997-06-26 | An optical amplifier |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB919120925A GB9120925D0 (en) | 1991-10-01 | 1991-10-01 | An optical amplifier |
| US9120925.4 | 1991-10-01 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| WO1993007664A1 true WO1993007664A1 (en) | 1993-04-15 |
Family
ID=10702309
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/GB1992/001808 Ceased WO1993007664A1 (en) | 1991-10-01 | 1992-10-01 | An optical amplifier |
Country Status (9)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0606331B1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JPH06511571A (en) |
| AT (1) | ATE150908T1 (en) |
| AU (1) | AU659499B2 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2119746C (en) |
| DE (1) | DE69218612T2 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB9120925D0 (en) |
| HK (1) | HK112997A (en) |
| WO (1) | WO1993007664A1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO1999045418A1 (en) * | 1998-03-04 | 1999-09-10 | The University Of Sydney | Ultra-broadband low-noise gain-flattened rare-earth-doped fibre amplifier |
| US6414787B2 (en) * | 1998-04-01 | 2002-07-02 | Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson | Optical fiber amplifier having a gain flattening filter |
Citations (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0438759A2 (en) * | 1989-12-26 | 1991-07-31 | United Technologies Corporation | Optical waveguide embedded light redirecting Bragg grating arrangement |
-
1991
- 1991-10-01 GB GB919120925A patent/GB9120925D0/en active Pending
-
1992
- 1992-10-01 JP JP5506731A patent/JPH06511571A/en active Pending
- 1992-10-01 WO PCT/GB1992/001808 patent/WO1993007664A1/en not_active Ceased
- 1992-10-01 EP EP92920675A patent/EP0606331B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1992-10-01 CA CA002119746A patent/CA2119746C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1992-10-01 AU AU26479/92A patent/AU659499B2/en not_active Ceased
- 1992-10-01 AT AT92920675T patent/ATE150908T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1992-10-01 DE DE69218612T patent/DE69218612T2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
1997
- 1997-06-26 HK HK112997A patent/HK112997A/en not_active IP Right Cessation
Patent Citations (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0438759A2 (en) * | 1989-12-26 | 1991-07-31 | United Technologies Corporation | Optical waveguide embedded light redirecting Bragg grating arrangement |
Non-Patent Citations (3)
| Title |
|---|
| IEEE PHOTONICS TECHNOLOGY LETTERS vol. 3, no. 2, February 1991, NEW YORK US pages 118 - 120 M. TACHIBANA ET AL. 'Erbium-doped fiber amplifier with flattened gain spectrum' * |
| JOURNAL OF LIGHTWAVE TECHNOLOGY. vol. 3, no. 5, October 1985, NEW YORK US pages 1041 - 1043 W.V. SORIN ET AL. 'A single-mode fiber evanescent grating reflector' * |
| OPTICAL FIBER COMMUNICATION CONFERENCE. TECHNICAL DIGEST SERIES vol. 1, 22 January 1990, WASHINGTON US page 27 P. YENNADHIOU ET AL. 'D-fiber grating reflection filters (Pap. TUG 4)' cited in the application * |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO1999045418A1 (en) * | 1998-03-04 | 1999-09-10 | The University Of Sydney | Ultra-broadband low-noise gain-flattened rare-earth-doped fibre amplifier |
| US6496303B1 (en) | 1998-03-04 | 2002-12-17 | The University Of Sydney | Ultra-broadband low-noise gain-flattened rare-earth-doped fibre amplifier |
| US6414787B2 (en) * | 1998-04-01 | 2002-07-02 | Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson | Optical fiber amplifier having a gain flattening filter |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| JPH06511571A (en) | 1994-12-22 |
| HK112997A (en) | 1997-08-29 |
| AU2647992A (en) | 1993-05-03 |
| CA2119746A1 (en) | 1993-04-15 |
| DE69218612T2 (en) | 1997-07-03 |
| ATE150908T1 (en) | 1997-04-15 |
| EP0606331A1 (en) | 1994-07-20 |
| EP0606331B1 (en) | 1997-03-26 |
| AU659499B2 (en) | 1995-05-18 |
| DE69218612D1 (en) | 1997-04-30 |
| GB9120925D0 (en) | 1991-11-13 |
| CA2119746C (en) | 1999-12-07 |
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