At+t Corp.

Other

Lucent Technologies Inc.

At&t Intellectual Property I, LP

At&t Bell Laboratories

Pivotal Decisions LLC

Jay Martin Wiesenfeld

Alan H Gnauck

Mark Shtaif

Antonio Mecozzi

Angela L Chiu

Michael H Eiselt

Lara Denise Garrett

Leonard Henri Spiekman

Sheryl Leigh Woodward

Mark David Feuer

Uziel Koren

Gadi Eisenstein

Rodney S Tucker

Christian Kurtzke

Per B Hansen

Joseph S Perino

Sang-Gyu Park

The invention pertains to optical fiber transmission systems, and is particularly relevant to transmission of high volume of data and voice traffic among different locations. In particular, the improvement teaches the use of a single optical transport system for both metropolitan area transport and long haul transport of data and voice traffic.

Optical transport system architecture for remote terminal connectivity

A system and method for increasing transmission distance and/or transmission data rates using tedons and an encoding scheme to reduce the number of ones in a data signal is described. For example, the method for increasing transmission distance and transmission data rate of a fiber optical communications link using tedons includes the steps of encoding a data signal to be transmitted using an encoding scheme that reduces a number of ones in the data signal, transmitting the encoded data signal over the fiber optical communications link, receiving the encoded data signal and decoding the encoded data signal.

Modulation scheme for tedons

A system and method for increasing transmission distance and/or transmission data rates using tedons and an encoding scheme to reduce the number of ones in a data signal is described. For example, the method for increasing transmission distance and transmission data rate of a fiber optical communications link using tedons comprises the steps of encoding a data signal to be transmitted using an encoding scheme that reduces a number of ones in the data signal, transmitting the encoded data signal over the fiber optical communications link, receiving the encoded data signal and decoding the encoded data signal.

A system and method is provided for minimizing power fluctuations and crosstalk in a wavelength division multiplexed optical (WDM) network employing dynamic add/drop techniques by utilizing amplifiers operating in a nearly linear region. Conventionally, erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs) are operated in saturation for providing signal amplification in a WDM network. Instead of using saturated EDFAs, the present invention includes optical amplifiers operated in a linear or nearly linear regime for providing signal amplification in a dynamic add/drop or bursty data WDM network. By operating optical amplifiers in a linear or nearly linear regime, power fluctuations, transients and crosstalk caused by adding/dropping or switching channels in the WDM network are minimized. Raman amplifiers, EDFAs, or semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) can all be operated in a linear or nearly linear range to provide linear amplification in such a dynamic add/drop or bursty data WDM network.

Dynamic add/drop of channels in a linear-optical-amplifier-based wavelength-division-multiplexed system

An optical transmission system and method uses large-bandwidth optical signals that rapidly disperse in a transmission medium, such as an optical fiber, to reduce the effects of non-linearities in the transmission medium on the optical signal. The frequency bandwidth of the optical signals can be widened by chirping the optical signals, although other methods are possible. Optical signals in adjacent channels, such as in wavelength division multiplexing, can overlap to some extent without significant effect on the transmitted signal quality. Optical filtering at the receiver can extract partially overlapping signals as well as compensate for residual dispersion and/or dispersion slope in the transmission system.

Optical transmission using dispersion-enhanced signals

A wavelength converter incorporating an on-chip integrated laser for use in an optical system. The converter includes a first port for receiving an optical input signal such as a WDM signal and providing it to an interferometer, and an output port for outputting a signal which is a wavelength-converted version of the input signal. An optical source or laser is fabricated on the chip substrate on which the interferometer is formed for providing operating power to the interferometer. Power levels of the input signal are maintained by adjusting an on-chip semiconductor optical amplifier that receives the optical input signal and provides the amplified signal to the interferometer. In an alternative embodiment, the on-chip optical source is replaced by an on-chip pre-amplifier for an external laser source.

All-optical mach-zehnder wavelength converter with monolithically integrated laser

An optical network comprising a broad band optical source having a temporal characteristic and an optical wavelength conversion apparatus. The optical wavelength conversion apparatus comprising a laser means for producing a narrow band optical spectrum signal, a means for receiving a broad band optical signal having a temporal characteristic, and a spectral compactor means. The spectral compactor means is responsive to the narrow band optical spectrum signal and the broad band optical signal, for modulating the narrow band optical signal with the temporal characteristic of the broad band optical signal. A polarization reset apparatus comprises a laser means for producing a narrow band optical spectrum signal having a first polarization, a means for generating a second optical signal having a temporal characteristic and a second polarization, and a spectral compactor means responsive to the first and second optical signals for modulating the first optical signal with the temporal characteristics of the second optical signal to produce an output signal having the temporal characteristic of the second optical signal and the spectral and polarization characteristics of the first optical signal.

Spectral compaction via cross-modulation wavelength conversion

A single-port, reflective, optical modulator with internal amplification. In one advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the single-port modulator includes a semiconductor waveguide amplifier with a high reflector at one end. The single-port geometry reduces the high packaging cost associated with two-port modulators, while the internal amplification compensates for splitting and coupling losses. The single-port optical modulator generally includes an input/output port for receiving a light input signal. A modulation region for modulating the light input signal in response to an electrical drive signal is included along with an amplification region for providing amplification of the light input signal. The modulation region and the amplification region include a waveguide for directing the light input signal. A high reflector coupled at one end of the waveguide opposite the input/output port is operable to reflect the light input signal back toward the input/output port, wherein an amplified and modulated light signal is output therefrom.

Apparatus and method for a single-port modulator having amplification

A method and apparatus for wavelength shifting an intensity-modulated optical signal are provided. The present invention utilizes an intensity-modulated first optical signal at a first wavelength, a second optical signal at a second wavelength and an optical amplifier with a gain which varies with the intensity modulation of the first optical signal. The optical amplifier receives and amplifies the first and second signals such that variations in the intensity modulation of the first optical signal alter the optical amplifier gain, producing an amplified second optical signal with corresponding intensity variations. In accordance with the invention the power level of the second optical signal is adjusted to reduce the amplifier gain recovery time and thereby reduce the rise time of the intensity variations of the amplified second optical signal. Optical wavelength shifting by amplifier gain compression is thereby made possible at bit rates of 10 Gbits/sec or higher.

Optical wavelength shifter with reduced gain recovery time

The present invention provides an apparatus and method for performing polarization-insensitive four-photon mixing of optical signals. The polarization-insensitive optical mixer includes a polarization splitter for splitting an optical signal into parallel and perpendicular polarization components, different mixing paths for mixing a pump signal of like polarization with each of the parallel and perpendicular components in a nonlinear mixing device, and a polarization combiner for combining the resulting mixing products. Certain of the mixing products represent phase conjugates of the input optical signal, and are therefore useful in compensating for chromatic distortion in optical fiber.

Polarization-insensitive optical four-photon mixer

An improved semiconductor optical amplifier with shortened gain-recovery time is disclosed. In the inventive device a carrier-storage region is placed adjacent to the gain region of the amplifier. Passage of carriers from the storage region to the gain region rapidly replenishes the carrier population within the gain region, thereby permitting rapid recovery of the amplifier gain.

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Lincroft, NJ, United States of America

Jay Martin Wiesenfeld