Patent ID: 7274503

Claim:
A communication system for distributed Raman amplification of optical signals, the communication system comprising: a first fiber span; a second fiber span; a third fiber span; a first pump system configured to generate and transmit a first light beam; a first splitter configured to receive the first light beam, split the first light beam into a first portion of the first light beam and a second portion of the first light beam, transfer the first portion of the first light beam onto the first fiber span to backward propagate over the first fiber span, and transfer the second portion of the first light beam onto the second fiber span to forward propagate over the second fiber span; a second pump system configured to generate and transmit a second light beam; and a second splitter configured to receive the second light beam, split the second light beam into a first portion of the second light beam and a second portion of the second light beam, transfer the first portion of the second light beam onto the second fiber span to backward propagate over the second fiber span, and transfer the second portion of the second light beam onto the third fiber span to forward propagate over the third fiber span; wherein a power of the first portion of the first light beam is not equal to a power of the second portion of the first light beam; and wherein a power of the first portion of the second light beam is not equal to a power of the second portion of the second light beam.