Patent ID: 6788844
Filing Date: 2004-09-07
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
An apparatus for equalizing channel powers of a multichannel optical signal comprising:an optical demultiplexer for demultiplexing the multichannel optical signal into a plurality of single channel optical signals, for each single channel optical signal a respective nonlinear optical limiter which is adapted to limit the single channel optical signal to produce a limited single channel optical signal; and an optical multiplexer for multiplexing the limited single channel optical signals to produce an equalized multichannel optical signal, the apparatus further comprising: for each single channel optical signal a respective bias optical signal source providing to the nonlinear optical limiter a respective bias optical signal of a wavelength different from each of the single channel optical signals, each bias optical signal having a power, each limited single channel optical signal having a power which has a dynamic range; wherein the power of each bias optical signal controls the dynamic range of the power of the respective limited single channel optical signal produced by the respective nonlinear optical limiter.