Techniques for improving gain equalization in C- and L-band (“C+L”) erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFAs) are provided. For example, the C- and L-band amplification sections of a C+L EDFA may be separated and configured in a parallel arrangement or a serial arrangement. For both the parallel and serial arrangements, the C- and L-band amplification sections may share a common gain flattening filter (GFF) or each amplification section may include and employ a separate GFF. Moreover, in some examples, an “interstage” L-band GFF may be located before or upstream of the L-band amplification section such that the L-band optical signal is gain-equalized or flattened prior to the L-band amplification section amplifying the L-band.

Techniques for managing gain equalization error in optical communication systems are provided. For example, a multi-stage gain correction filter may be configured to at least correct gain equalization error produced by filters with insufficient resolution, for example, conventional non-reflective gain correction technology used in the optical communication systems. The multi-stage filter may include at least a broadband gain correction filter to correct gain equalization error in most of the transmission bandwidth and a narrow band gain correction filter to correction error in a narrow region of the bandwidth. One or more of the multi-stage filters may be implemented in the repeaters of the system (which may be referred to as hybrid GFFs) or may be included in a standalone body (which may be referred to as hybrid GEFs).

Systems and methods for stabilizing power levels from excessive oscillations in an optical line system of a communications network are provided. A method, according to one implementation, includes the step of detecting a perturbation of an optical power level in an optical line system having a plurality of cascaded optical power controllers. The method also includes the step of determining an estimated location to which a power controller of the plurality of cascaded optical power controllers is positioned downstream of the perturbation with respect to other power controllers of the plurality of cascaded optical power controllers. Based on the estimated location to which the power controller is positioned downstream of the perturbation, the method also includes the step of providing feedback in a control loop to reduce the effects of the perturbation.

Techniques for managing gain equalization error in optical communication systems are provided. For example, a multi-stage gain correction filter may be configured to at least correct gain equalization error produced by filters with insufficient resolution, for example, conventional non-reflective gain correction technology used in the optical communication systems. The multi-stage filter may include at least a broadband gain correction filter to correct gain equalization error in most of the transmission bandwidth and a narrow band gain correction filter to correction error in a narrow region of the bandwidth. One or more of the multi-stage filters may be implemented in the repeaters of the system (which may be referred to as hybrid GFFs) or may be included in a standalone body (which may be referred to as hybrid GEFs).

A method of reducing the power consumption of an optical fiber amplifier by which the optical output of a first optical fiber is filtered to prevent a detrimental portion of the optical output from reaching a second optical fiber, to transmit a signal for amplification, and to transmit a portion of the optical output that can contribute to optical pumping of the second optical fiber. By propagating an optical pumping portion output from the first optical fiber, as well as optical pumping from an independent source, the independent source's power level can be reduced. In a sequence of optical fibers, each fiber can provide some pumping output to one or more other fibers, as long as its optical output is properly filtered with appropriate optical components, such as a band-stop filter. A sequence can be terminated by a low-pass filter in order for a final output to contain the amplified signal free from any other optical output.

Systems and methods are provided for creating a sequence of turn-up processes for amplifiers. A method, according to one implementation, includes determining when a fiber span is initially installed in an optical line system or when an Optical Line Failure (OLF) in the fiber span has recovered. The optical line system includes a first set of amplifiers deployed at an upstream node and a second set of amplifiers deployed at a downstream node, the upstream node connected to the downstream node via the fiber span. In response to determining that the fiber span is initially installed in the optical line system or that an ORL in the fiber span has recovered, the method also includes sending a flag from the upstream node to the downstream node to allow the first set of amplifiers to perform a first turn-up process before the second set of amplifiers perform a second turn-up process.

Systems and methods are provided for amplifying optical signals within one of two optical bands, such as C-band and L-band. An optical amplifying device, according to one implementation, may include a shared optical coil configured to propagate an optical signal. The optical amplifying device may further include a first junction configured to separate the shared optical coil into a first-band optical fiber and a second-band optical coil and a pump device configured to amplify the optical signal in the shared optical coil and the second-band optical coil. The first-band optical fiber may be configured to propagate the optical signal when the optical signal resides in a channel of a first plurality of channels within a first optical band. The second-band optical coil may be configured to propagate the optical signal when the optical signal resides in a channel of a second plurality of channels within a second optical band.

A control device of modulating signal generates high-side signal and low-side signal. The high-side signal takes level in accordance with level of AC component of a monitor signal obtained by photoelectric conversion of modulated light, when the polarity of the AC component is positive, or its magnitude is zero. The high-side signal further takes constant level when the polarity of the AC component is negative. The low-side signal takes constant level when the polarity of the AC component is positive. The low-side signal further takes level in accordance with level of the AC component when the polarity of the AC component is negative, or its magnitude is zero. Then, the control device adjusts level of the modulating signal based on a greatest value of absolute values of levels taken by the high-side signal and a greatest value of absolute values of levels taken by the low-side signal.

The present invention relates to a method for optimizing performance of a multi-span optical fiber network. Each span has an associated optical transmission fiber connected to an associated optical amplifier. Gain and output power of the associated optical amplifier are respectively controlled independently. An amplifier noise figure respectively depends on the gain of the associated optical amplifier, with each associated optical amplifier further connected to launch optical signals into a remainder of a corresponding optical transmission line. The method includes the steps of for each span, computing the amplifier noise figure and a non-linear noise generated in the span based on information about the span and using the computed amplifier noise figure and the computed non-linear noise to compute an optimum launch power, and optimizing performance of the multi-span optical fiber network based on the computed optimum launch powers of all spans.

A laser device for optical communication comprises a first laser unit connected to a first optical fiber for supplying a transmission laser beam thereto. wherein the laser device is configured for providing a reference laser beam in addition to the transmission laser beam. For providing the reference laser beam the laser device further includes a second laser unit connected to a second optical fiber for supplying the reference laser beam to the second optical fiber. The first laser unit is configured for providing the transmission laser beam as a linear polarized beam that is polarized in a first polarization direction, and the second laser unit is configured for providing the reference laser beam as a linear polarized beam that is polarized in a second polarization direction. The first optical fiber and the second optical fiber are formed of polarization maintaining optical fibers, and the laser device further includes a polarization combiner connected to a third polarization maintaining optical fiber for conveying the transmission laser beam and the reference laser beam to an optical output of the laser device.