Patent ID: 7558485
Filing Date: 2009-07-07
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
1. A multichannel optical communications system including an apparatus that acts on an incoming multichannel signal to produce a phase conjugation of at least one of said channels of said incoming multichannel signal, said apparatus comprising: a demultiplexer/multiplexer sequence for said multichannel signal, said demultiplexer/multiplexer sequence including an optical phase conjugator or a frequency shifter; and a device complementary to said demultiplexer/multiplexer sequence; and wherein said demultiplexer/multiplexer sequence and said complementary device are configured to operate on said multichannel signal and wherein at least a portion of said complementary device operates on said multichannel signal before or after said demultiplexer/multiplexer sequence operates on said multichannel signal, wherein said complementary device is an optical phase conjugator if said demultiplexer/multiplexer sequence includes the frequency shifter and is said frequency shifter if said demultiplexer/ multiplexer sequence includes said optical phase conjugator; and wherein an output frequency order of said channels is an input frequency order of said channels and an output multichannel signal includes said phase conjugation of said at least one of said channels of said incoming multichannel signal.