Abstract:
An apparatus is provided that includes an optical noise generator and a noise combiner. The noise generator is configured to produce an optical signal having a noise channel. The noise combiner is configured to combine an optical data channel with the noise channel received at one or more add ports to produce an optical output signal. A controller is configured to operate the noise generator or the noise combiner to provide a variable bandwidth of added noise combined with the optical data channel.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to an optical amplifier arrangement and a method of amplifying an optical signal. The optical amplifier arrangement (20) comprises an optical dividing device (21) arranged to divide an optical input pulse into a plurality of non-overlapping pulses forming a pulse train, an optical amplifier (22) arranged to amplify the pulse train, and an optical aligning device (23) arranged to temporally align the plurality of amplified pulses in the amplified pulse train into a single output pulse having the same temporal width as the input pulse.
Abstract:
A method 10 of configuring an optical communication network comprising an optical link comprising an optical fibre configured as a Raman amplifier configured for co-propagating Raman amplification, the method comprising: a. selecting an optical pump signal power, P p , of the Raman amplifier such that a saturated gain, G, of the Raman amplifier is at a maximum operating level without exceeding a gain threshold above which an optical signal to noise ratio penalty caused by double Rayleigh scattering is no longer negligible in the Raman amplifier 12; b. selecting an optical signal power, P ch , for at least one optical communication signal to be transmitted across the optical link, the optical signal power being selected to maximise a Q-factor of the optical signal when the Raman amplifier is configured for said maximum operating level of the saturated gain 14; c. generating a pump signal power control signal configured to cause an optical pump signal source of the Raman amplifier to generate an optical pump signal having the selected optical pump signal power 16; and d. generating a signal power control signal configured to cause the optical communication signal to be delivered into the optical link at the selected optical signal power 18.