Patent ID: 8462430
Filing Date: 2013-06-11
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
1. An optical amplifier having an average gain coefficient, a gain tilt, a gain ripple parameter, a maximum pump power parameter, and a noise figure parameter, the optical amplifier comprising: an input port for inputting light; a first amplifier optical fiber optically coupled to the input port, for amplifying light; a second amplifier optical fiber optically coupled to the first amplifier optical fiber, for further amplifying light; an output port for outputting light amplified by the second amplifier optical fiber; a semiconductor laser for pumping the first and the second amplifier optical fibers, in dependence upon a drive signal applied thereto; a tunable optical power splitter optically coupled to the semiconductor laser, for splitting light from said semiconductor laser into a first path and a second path in dependence upon a first control signal applied to the optical power splitter, wherein the first and the second paths are optically coupled to the first and the second amplifier optical fibers, respectively; and a controller suitably programmed to provide a pre-determined value of the average gain coefficient and, or a pre-determined value of the gain tilt, while keeping the gain ripple parameter, the maximum pump power parameter, and the noise figure parameter below pre-defined threshold levels, by applying the drive signal to the semiconductor laser, and applying the first control signal to the tunable optical power splitter.