Patent ID: 8064770
Filing Date: 2011-11-22
Classification: H04B,H04J

Abstract:
1. A system comprising: at least one transmitter configured to transmit information signals on different respective signal wavelengths within a band of system wavelengths associated with channels of a wavelength division multiplex (WDM) system; an optical load generator configured to generate dummy tones at loading wavelengths within said band of system wavelengths, wherein said loading wavelengths are associated with only a subset of unutilized channels in said WDM system and a majority of said loading wavelengths are within a lower half of said band of system wavelengths, said unutilized channels being channels of said WDM system that are not initially loaded with one of said information signals, and wherein said loading wavelengths are selected and spaced to provide a flattened gain spectrum across said band of system wavelengths compared to the gain spectrum of said system without said loading wavelengths; and at least one combiner configured to combine said information signals and said dummy tones to provide an output comprising said information signals on utilized channels of the WDM system and said dummy tones on said subset of unutilized channels of the WDM system.