Loss-less optical cross-connect

Details Loss-less optical cross-connect Loss-less optical cross-connect

1996-12-31

1999-09-28

Moskowitz, Nelson

Optical: systems and elements

Optical amplifier

Optical fiber

359128, 359134, 359139, H04J 1400

Patent

active

059597674

ABSTRACT:
A loss-less optical cross-connect advantageously employs a plurality of optical rare earth-doped fiber optical amplifiers as gain-switched optical connections, for example, gain-switched optical distributors and gain-switched optical selectors. Each of the optical rare earth-doped fiber optical amplifiers acts as an ON/OFF switch. Also, both the gain-switched optical distributors and selectors employed in the optical cross-connect arrangement of this invention are a natural fit into today's optically amplified optical communication systems. In one embodiment, this is realized by employing a pump select circuit in conjunction with a plurality of pumps and the plurality of corresponding rare earth-doped fiber optical amplifiers. The particular pump and corresponding optical amplifier are selected by use of a control circuit arrangement to determine which output port or ports is (are) connected to the input port. The rare earth-doped fiber optical amplifiers and the corresponding pumps are employed advantageously for both the gain-switched optical distributors and the gain-switched optical selectors. In another embodiment, a so-called tuned pump arrangement is employed in conjunction with a plurality of filters and a corresponding plurality of rare earth-doped fiber optical amplifiers. A pump tuning arrangement is employed to control the tunable pump in order to select the appropriate one of a plurality of optical amplifiers to be activated, thus routing the input signals at any of a plurality of given wavelengths to the corresponding output line (or lines if broadcasting capability is employed). Again, the rare earth-doped fiber optical amplifiers and the corresponding pumps are employed advantageously for both the gain-switched optical distributors and the gain-switched optical selectors.

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patent: 5365368 (1994-11-01), Hsu et al.
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patent: 5504824 (1996-04-01), Bunrgard
patent: 5550818 (1996-08-01), Brachett et al.
Urquhart, Paul; IEE Proceedings, vol. 135, Part I, #6, pp. 385-407, Dec. 1988.

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