The University of Arizona

Columbia University

Daniel Kilper

Keren Bergman

Weiyang Mo

Gil Zussman

Houman Rastegarfar

Mariya A Bhopalwala

Berk Birand

Atiyah Sayyidah Ahsan

A method of interrogating a WDM optical communication system is provided to obtain one or more performance parameters. In accordance with the method, an optical probe wavelength is generated and possibly modulated in a prescribed manner. The probe signal is transmitted along a selected optical path through the WDM optical communication system for a duration of time that is less than a response time of network elements that impact signal quality along the selected optical path.

Fast probing of signal quality in a WDM network

A method is provided for determining the gain spectrum of an optical amplifier such as an erbium doped optical amplifier (EDFA). In accordance with the method, an optical amplifier such as an EDFA that is to accommodate a specified number of channels at different optical wavelengths is provided. A subset of the specified number of channels at which gain is to be measured is selected. The number of channels in the subset is determined based at least in part on a number of samples required by the Nyquist sampling theorem to reconstruct the gain spectrum. A gain value for each channel in the selected subset of channels is measured for a probe signal that does not perturb the gain spectrum of the EDFA by more than a prescribed amount. The gain spectrum for the EDFA is constructed from the measured gain values.

Fast EDFA gain spectrum characterization using weak probe and fourier sampling

A proactive and non-obtrusive channel probing scheme is provided to accurately predict channel power, gain, and optical signal to noise ratio (OSNR) without disrupting the existing connections. In one example, using a probe signal with 5 &#x3bc;s pulse duration in a single-hop network, rapid wavelength switching is achieved with power excursions less than or equal to 0.2 dB for different loading configurations.

Proactive channel probing for wavelength switching in optical transmission systems

A method for transmitting data over an optical communication system is performed by sequentially tuning a laser beam among a plurality of optical wavelengths. At least one data signal is modulated onto the plurality of optical wavelengths by sequentially switching the modulation of the data signal among the plurality of optical wavelengths such that at any given time the data signal is only modulated onto a single one of the optical wavelengths. The sequential switching is performed at a rate equal to or greater than a response time of one or more optical amplifiers used for amplifying the optical wavelengths.

Multi-wavelength balanced optical transmission networks

An optical communication system includes a plurality of optical system nodes, a plurality of optical space switches and a plurality of optical fibers. The plurality of optical system nodes each includes at least one reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM). The optical system nodes each have at least one client side port and at least one line side port. Each optical space switch is operatively coupled to the line side port of one of the plurality of optical system nodes. Each of the optical fibers couples one of the optical space switches to another of the optical space switches.

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Daniel Kilper