Dynamic optical amplifier

Abstract

An optical amplifier for amplifying a plurality of signal components of a multi-wavelength optical beam passing through an optical fiber includes a portion of the optical fiber doped with a rare earth ion to amplify the optical signal wherein the gain spectrum as a function of the wavelength is nonuniform. The optical amplifier further includes a gain flattening module to compensate for the nonuniform gain spectrum of the doped fiber by attenuating each of the channels of the amplified signal to equalize the gain. A gain equalization module compensates for varying gain fluctuations due to the adding and subtracting of signal components. The gain equalization module adjusts dynamically each signal component of the optical beam such that the amplitudes of the signal components are substantially equal, in response to a plurality of control signals. Each control signal is representative of the degree of attenuation required to equalize the signal components. The respective control signals are generated by a loop status monitor that includes a waveguide for demultiplexing the optical beam, and a detector array that determines the amplitude of each signal component. A controller generates the control signals in dependence of the amplitude of the signal components.