Patent ID: 6556320
Filing Date: 2003-04-29
Classification: G02B,H04B,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for dispersion compensation for a composite optical signal in an optical fiber transmission system, the composite optical signal comprising a plurality of channels, each of the plurality of channels comprising a band of wavelengths, wherein the bands of wavelengths comprises unwanted chromatic dispersion, dispersion slope, and polarization mode dispersion (PMD), comprising the steps of:(a) propagating the composite optical signal in a forward direction; (b) separating the wavelengths in the band of wavelengths in each of the plurality of channels, wherein each of the wavelengths in the band is spatially distinguishable from the other wavelengths in the band; (c) spatially separating each band of wavelengths in the plurality of channels; (d) spatially separating each wavelength of each separated band of wavelengths into a plurality of polarized rays; and (e) reflecting the plurality of polarized rays toward a return direction, wherein dispersion is added to the reflected plurality of polarized rays such that the unwanted chromatic dispersion, dispersion slope, and PMD are compensated.