Alcatel

Alcatel Lucent

Alcatel Submarine Networks

Eric Brandon

Jean-Pierre Blondel

Patrice Le Roux

Denis Toullier

Laurent Labrunie

Georges Grandpierre

Jean-Fran&ccedil;ois Marcerou

Philippe Bousselet

Vincent Havard

François Boubal

Mireille Marcerou

Laurence Buet

System and method for dispersion compensation tuning for a WDM optical transmission system. A tunable dispersion compensation module () is located at or substantially close to a transmitting end of the optical transmission line () and at least one distributed Raman amplifier having an Raman pump () is coupled to the transmission lineThe dispersion compensation is controlled by means of a signal derived from the Raman pump () which is fed through a control loop () to the tunable dispersion compensation module ().

System and method for automatic tuning of chromatic dispersion compensation for a WDM transmission system using raman distributed co-pumping

The invention refers to a safety procedure for optical fiber systems. Such systems are widely used in telecommunication to transport optical signals between a transmitter terminal and a receiver terminal. By the invented safety procedure the optical input power fed into said optical fiber system is automatically shut off or at least reduced in case of an unintended escape of light from at least one fiber. A safety interface, provided in the transmission line detects changes of the total optical output power in at least one fiber and initiates a shut-down of the input power as soon as a decrease of the total output power is detected, that exceeds a predefined value within a predefined time window. Thus the slope of the total output power is measured and evaluated rather than its absolute value.

Safety procedure for optical fiber systems and safety interface to carry out such safety procedure

The invention relates to a system for injecting into a fiber signals from multiple sources at different wavelengths. The signals from each source are injected into the fiber by a circulator. The circulators of the various sources are cascaded. Reflector means for reflecting signals from sources previously injected are provided between each source and its circulator. The invention is used to inject signals from multiple sources without the injection of signals from one source attenuating signals from sources previously injected. It applies in particular to Raman amplification, for which purpose it provides a multiband source without attenuation between bands. Multiband amplifications is achieved without loss of gain between bands.

Multiband Raman amplifier

The invention concerns a method for monitoring an optical waveguide between a monitoring terminal point and a monitoring unit, in which an optical data signal from a transmitter, and for amplification, pump light from a pump laser, is emitted into the optical waveguide, wherein a monitoring signal transmitted by the monitoring unit is returned via the same waveguide to the monitoring unit by a reflection device located at the monitoring terminal point, in particular a Bragg grating placed in the optical waveguide, and wherein the reflection device is tuned to a reflection that is exactly the wavelength of the monitoring signal, as well as a monitoring system and a monitoring unit for said Method.

Method for monitoring an optical waveguide, as well as monitoring system and monitoring unit for said method

In a fiber optic link signal or pump sending power limitations due to stimulated Raman scattering are pushed back by using attenuation in the Raman gain region. Various techniques are proposed for limiting stimulated Raman scattering. In particular, the use of optical fiber lightly doped with dysprosium, the attenuation of which increases rapidly beyond 1 500 nm, is proposed. The use of this fiber to transport pump power at 1 480 nm towards remote amplifiers would enable injection of pump power up to an order of magnitude of 10 W, whereas the limit is currently 1.3 W. This technique would enable the range of links to be increased approximately 80 km.

Elimination of optical power limitation due to stimulated raman scattering in fiber optic links

In a fiber optic transmission system comprising line fiber and a pump for distributed amplification in the line fiber by stimulated Raman scattering, the line fiber comprises multiple sections and the nature of the fibers in each section and the length of each section are chosen so that the Raman gain is lower than the Rayleigh backscattering coefficient at all points of the system. This avoids the limitations that are experienced if the Raman gain is greater than the Rayleigh backscattering coefficient.

Limitation of oscillation caused by Raman amplification due to the use of different fibers

In a repeaterless optical fiber transmission system, the invention proposes providing polarization scrambling means. This makes it possible to limit the amount of energy that is transferred by the Raman effect, while increasing the amount of power that can be injected into the link. The invention is equally applicable to the lightwaves used for carrying information and to the lightwaves used for pumping.

Eliminating the Raman effect by modulating polarization

The invention provides a circuit for amplitude modulating an optical signal with an N-state electrical signal where N is greater than or equal to 2, the circuit comprising a modulator having a first input for receiving the optical signal to be modulated and a second input for receiving a modulating electrical signal. According to the invention, the circuit comprises, upstream from the second input, shaping component having an input receiving the N-state electrical signal and having an output that switches from one of the N states to another of the N states in response to the N-state electrical signal taking up a level that is greater than a predetermined threshold, and switching from the other state to the one of the N states in response to the N-state electrical signal taking up a level that is less than the predetermined threshold, the predetermined threshold being associated with the pair of states, and having a level that lies between and is different from the respective levels taken by the two states.

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Bourg la Reine, France

Eric Brandon