Patent ID: 6407852
Filing Date: 2002-06-18
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
A multi-fiber ribbon-coupled optical amplifier comprising:a multi-channel optical waveguide structure having a plurality of optical waveguide amplifier channels arranged to be optically coupled with respective ones of a plurality of optical fibers of a multi-fiber ribbon over which respective light beam signals are transportable; and a multi-channel optical interface configured to couple optical energy supplied by a plurality of optical pumping sources into respective ones of said plurality of optical waveguide amplifier channels of said multi-channel optical amplifier from a direction that is generally spatially transverse to said optical waveguide amplifier channels, so as to provide optical energy amplification of said respective light beam signals traveling through said optical waveguide amplifier channels of said multi-channel optical waveguide structure; and wherein said multi-channel optical waveguide structure comprises a support substrate having a first surface, in which are formed a plurality of spatially adjacent grooves supporting therein respective ones of said optical waveguide amplifier channels, and wherein a respective one of said plurality of optical waveguide amplifier channels comprises a single clad optical fiber installed in a respective one of said grooves and having a truncated surface adjacent to a top surface of said respective one of said grooves, so as to receive optical energy supplied by one or more of said optical pumping sources, whereby said optical energy is transferred into and propagated along the core by said single clad optical fiber, and thereby provides optical energy amplification of a respective light beam signal traveling in the core.