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US5633750A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Optical fiber amplifier

Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corp
•
Filing: 1996-04-30
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Granted: 1997-05-27
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Expires: 2016-04-30
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Abstract

Abstract The invention offers an optical fiber amplifier with good frequency characteristics which allows the gain to be held constant even without an input signal beam and allows gain control with respect to input optical signals with high-speed power fluctuations. An excitation beam source 8 supplies an excitation beam for light amplification and a control beam source 15 supplies a control beam for controlling the gain to an EDF 4 which amplifies a signal beam by means of optical excitation. An excitation beam monitor 9 measures the power of the excitation beam when inputted to the EDF 4 and an excitation beam monitor 12 measures the power of the excitation beam when outputted from the EDF 4. A comparator 11 calculates the ratio between the power measured by the excitation beam monitor 9 and the power measured by the excitation beam monitor 12. A drive circuit 14 controls the power of the control beam supplied by the control beam source 15 based on the results obtained by the comparator 11.

Inventors

  • 👤 Seiji Nogiwa
  • 👤 Kazuo Aida
  • 👤 Kiyoshi Nakagawa

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-08 22:58
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/10; H01S3/10007; H01S3/10015; H01S3/13; H01S3/1301; H01S3/13013; H01S3/005; H01S3/0078; H01S3/05; H01S3/06; H01S3/063; H01S3/067; H01S3/06754; H01S3/1305; H01S3/14; H01S3/16; H01S3/1601; H01S3/1603; H01S3/1608

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim 130 words
An optical fiber amplifier, comprising: a rare-earth-doped optical fiber for amplifying a signal beam; optical excitation means for supplying an excitation beam to said rare-earth-doped optical fiber for amplifying said signal beam; first measurement means for measuring the power of said excitation beam when inputted to said rare-earth-doped optical fiber; second measurement means for measuring the power of said excitation beam when outputted from said rare-earth-doped otpcial fiber; calculation means for calculating the ratio between the power measured by said first measurement means and the power measured by said second measurement means; control beam supply means for supplying a control beam which controls the gain of said rare-earth-doped optical fiber; and control means for controlling the power of said control beam based on the results obtained by said calculation means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 130 words
An optical fiber amplifier, comprising: a rare-earth-doped optical fiber for amplifying a signal beam; optical excitation means for supplying an excitation beam to said rare-earth-doped optical fiber for amplifying said signal beam; first measurement means for measuring the power of said excitation beam when inputted to said rare-earth-doped optical fiber; second measurement means for measuring the power of said excitation beam when outputted from said rare-earth-doped otpcial fiber; calculation means for calculating the ratio between the power measured by said first measurement means and the power measured by said second measurement means; control beam supply means for supplying a control beam which controls the gain of said rare-earth-doped optical fiber; and control means for controlling the power of said control beam based on the results obtained by said calculation means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 157 words
An optical fiber amplifier, comprising: a rare-earth-doped optical fiber for amplifying a signal beam; optical excitation means for supplying an excitation beam to said rare-earth-doped optical fiber for amplifying said signal beam; first measurement means for measuring the power of said excitation beam when inputted to said rare-earth-doped optical fiber; second measurement means for measuring the power of said excitation beam when outputted from said rare-earth-doped otpcial fiber; calculation means for calculating the ratio between the power measured by said first measurement means and the power measured by said second measurement means; control beam supply means for supplying a control beam which controls the gain of said rare-earth-doped optical fiber; first control means for controlling the power of said control beam based on high-frequency components in the results obtained by said calculation means; and second control means for controlling the power of said excitation beam based on low-frequency components in the results obtained by said calculation means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 157 words
An optical fiber amplifier, comprising: a rare-earth-doped optical fiber for amplifying a signal beam; optical excitation means for supplying an excitation beam to said rare-earth-doped optical fiber for amplifying said signal beam; first measurement means for measuring the power of said excitation beam when inputted to said rare-earth-doped optical fiber; second measurement means for measuring the power of said excitation beam when outputted from said rare-earth-doped otpcial fiber; calculation means for calculating the ratio between the power measured by said first measurement means and the power measured by said second measurement means; control beam supply means for supplying a control beam which controls the gain of said rare-earth-doped optical fiber; first control means for controlling the power of said control beam based on high-frequency components in the results obtained by said calculation means; and second control means for controlling the power of said excitation beam based on low-frequency components in the results obtained by said calculation means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 26 words
An optical fiber amplifier according to claim 1, wherein the wavelength band of said control beam is within the gain band of said rare-earth-doped optical fiber.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 26 words
An optical fiber amplifier according to claim 2, wherein the wavelength band of said control beam is within the gain band of said rare-earth-doped optical fiber.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 28 words
An optical fiber amplifier according to claim 1, wherein said control beam is inputted to the end of said rare-earth-doped fiber to which said signal beam is inputted.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 28 words
An optical fiber amplifier according to claim 2, wherein said control beam is inputted to the end of said rare-earth-doped fiber to which said signal beam is inputted.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 28 words
An optical fiber amplifier according to claim 3, wherein said control beam is inputted to the end of said rare-earth-doped fiber to which said signal beam is inputted.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 28 words
An optical fiber amplifier according to claim 1, wherein said control beam is inputted to the end of said rare-earth-doped fiber from which said signal beam is outputted.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 28 words
An optical fiber amplifier according to claim 2, wherein said control beam is inputted to the end of said rare-earth-doped fiber from which said signal beam is outputted.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 28 words
An optical fiber amplifier according to claim 3, wherein said control beam is inputted to the end of said rare-earth-doped fiber from which said signal beam is outputted.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 28 words
An optical fiber amplifier according to claim 1, wherein the wavelength band of said control beam is within the excitation level absorption band of said rare-earth-doped optical fiber.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 28 words
An optical fiber amplifier according to claim 2, wherein the wavelength band of said control beam is within the excitation level absorption band of said rare-earth-doped optical fiber.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 28 words
An optical fiber amplifier according to claim 11, wherein said control beam is inputted to the end of said rare-earth-doped fiber to which said signal beam is inputted.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 28 words
An optical fiber amplifier according to claim 12, wherein said control beam is inputted to the end of said rare-earth-doped fiber to which said signal beam is inputted.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 28 words
An optical fiber amplifier according to claim 11, wherein said control beam is inputted to the end of said rare-earth-doped fiber from which said signal beam is outputted.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 28 words
An optical fiber amplifier according to claim 12, wherein said control beam is inputted to the end of said rare-earth-doped fiber from which said signal beam is outputted.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US5471334A Cited
US5374973A Cited
US5506724A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2000-05-26 2000-11-25 2001-05-27 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2004-05-26 2004-11-25 2005-05-27 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2008-05-26 2008-11-25 2009-05-27 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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