Patent ID: 6775429
Filing Date: 2004-08-10
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
An optical gain equalization system for receiving and equalizing a multiple-channel input optical signal comprising:a cascaded array of tunable optical filters filtering said multiple-channel input optical signal and generating a plurality of sub-signals and a residual signal and each of said sub-signals transmitted over a mutually exclusive filter-specific spectrum-range while a combination of all said filter-specific spectrums dynamically covering the spectral portions of said multi-channel input optical signal for power equalizations with all said filter-specific spectrums together with a spectral range of said residual signal substantially covering the entire spectral range of said multi-channel input optical signal; a corresponding array of variable optical attenuators (VOAs) each connected to one of a corresponding tunable optical filter for attenuating said sub-signal transmitted over said filter-specific spectrum range for generating an equalized sub-signal; and a multiplexing means for receiving and multiplexing said equalized sub-signals generated by said array of variable optical attenuators (VOAs) for generating an equalized output optical signal.