Patent ID: 6671085
Filing Date: 2003-12-30
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
A method of amplifying an optical signal, the method comprising:amplifying the optical signal in a common gain stage to produce a first intermediate signal; and further amplifying the first intermediate signal through one of a plurality of N parallel amplification paths each having its respective gain to produce a second intermediate signal; applying a controllable variable attenuation to the second intermediate signal to produce an output signal, wherein the gain of the common stage and the respective gains of the N parallel amplification paths are selected to substantially satisfy G1=G2âˆ’L=G3âˆ’2L= . . . =GNâˆ’(Nâˆ’1) L, where each of G1, G2, G3, . . . , and GN is the gain of the first stage plus the gain of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, . . . , and N-th path respectively and L is a maximum attenuating range of the controllable variable attenuation.