Patent ID: 6515779
Filing Date: 2003-02-04
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
A method for compensating for chromatic dispersion in an optical network, comprising the steps of:(a) analyzing an optical signal at a first location in the optical network; (b) determining if the optical signal has a desired shape at the first location; (c) automatically adjusting a dispersion of the optical signal at a second location in the optical network if the optical signal does not have the desired shape; (d) providing feedback concerning the shape of the adjusted optical signal at the first location; and (e) automatically readjusting the dispersion of the optical signal at the second location based upon the feedback until the optical signal at the first location has the desired shape, wherein the automatically readjusting step is performed by a tunable dispersion compensator, wherein a light output from the tunable dispersion compensator is formed from self-interference of diverging light which is reflected multiple times between a first surface and a second surface, wherein the second surface has a reflectivity which causes a portion of light incident thereon to be transmitted therethrough, wherein the tunable dispersion compensator further comprises: a first dispersion compensator capable of providing a fixed amount of dispersion compensation, wherein the first dispersion compensator comprises: a one-by-n switch, n being an integer greater than one, n dispersion compensators, each capable of providing a fixed amount of dispersion compensation, wherein the one-by-n switch is capable of routing the optical signal to any one of the n dispersion compensators, and another one-by-n switch optically coupled to the dispersion compensator to which the optical signal is routed, and a second tunable dispersion compensator, coupled to the first dispersion compensator, capable of providing a continuous range of dispersion compensation.