Patent ID: 6687049
Filing Date: 2004-02-03
Classification: H01S,H04B

Abstract:
An optical amplifier that amplifies optical signals in a fiber-optic communications link, comprising:a first laser diode pump that produces pump light at a first pump power; a second laser diode pump that produces pump light at a second pump power; a rare-earth-doped fiber coil that is optically pumped by the first and second laser diode pumps to produce optical gain for the optical signals; and a control unit and at least one optical monitor that measure the optical signals in the amplifier, wherein the control unit controls the first and second laser diode pumps based on the measured optical signals to suppress gain transients, and wherein at low measured optical signal powers the control unit turns off the second pump while using the first pump to pump the coil to minimize the effects of laser diode mode partition noise on the optical amplifier.