Scientific-atlanta, Inc.

Cisco Technology, Inc.

Amoco Corporation

Michael R Keur

Kevin L Sweeney

Douglas W Anthon

James H Fisher

Timothy Hart

Fred S Hirt

Peter Maton

An optical fiber amplifier apparatus and optical signal amplification method are provided. In one example, the amplifier apparatus comprises an optical combiner that is configured to receive an input optical signal to be amplified and a pump light beam. The optical combiner combines for output the input optical signal and the pump light beam. A first cladding pumped optical fiber in which Erbium is the only optically active dopant is coupled to the optical combiner to receive the pump light beam and the input optical signal. The first cladding pumped optical fiber pre-amplifies the input optical signal and passes the pre-amplified input optical signal and power of the pump light beam not absorbed by the first cladding pumped optical fiber. A second cladding pumped optical fiber is provided that is coupled to the first cladding pumped optical fiber. Erbium and Ytterbium are optically active dopants in the second cladding pumped optical fiber. The second cladding pumped optical fiber absorbs power of the pump light beam that was not absorbed by the first cladding pumped optical fiber to further amplify the pre-amplified input optical signal to produce an output amplified optical signal that is a desired amplified version of the input optical signal.

Erbium and Erbium/Ytterbium cladding pumped hybrid optical amplifier

A method and apparatus within an optical transmitter ( ) for suppressing relative intensity noise (RIN) by generating at least two optical signals ( ), each having differing wavelengths and combining the optical signals with a combiner ( ) into a composite output signal, wherein the composite output signal has an output power value equal to the sum of the power value of the optical signals. The composite output signal is then transmitted over a communication medium, wherein information content of the optical signals are substantially equivalent, and wherein combining the optical signals before transmitting provides a reduction in RIN of the composite output signal compared to the RIN of a single optical signal transmitted over a communication medium.

Method and apparatus for suppressing relative intensity noise (RIN) and improving transmission signals

Systems and methods for suppressing cladding modes at the signal wavelength in an optical fiber system utilizing an optical amplifier without perturbing the pump wavelength. An outer cladding of the gain fiber is removed providing a short section of a single mode fiber that does not guide the higher order modes, thus attenuating the higher order modes. Therefore, this system eliminates unwanted noise. In an embodiment, the modes are filtered at the end of the gain section of the optical fiber before splicing to an input fiber. Hydro florate etching can be utilized to remove the outer cladding. The resulting fiber maintains fundamental mode propagation and no mode mixing occurs while losing the higher order modes eliminating the noise.

Noise reduction technique for cladding pumped optical amplifiers

Apparatus comprising: a first member having one end through which laser light is emitted; a second member, spaced apart from said first member and having a mating end, for receiving said laser light from said first member, said mating end having an edge which is generally adjacent to an edge at said one end of said first member; and solder joining means, carried by said edges of said first member and said second member, for joining said first number and said second number.

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Glenview, IL, United States of America

Michael R Keur