Patent ID: 8364041

Claim:
A transceiver unit for receiving an optical input signal and transmitting an amplitude modulated optical output signal, comprising: a first coupler; a receiver connected to said first coupler; a second coupler connected to said first coupler; a first Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (SOA) connected to said second coupler; and a second SOA connected to said second coupler, wherein said first coupler is configured to power split said optical input signal comprising a modulated optical signal and an unmodulated optical signal to said receiver and to said second coupler, wherein said receiver is configured to convert said modulated optical signal and said unmodulated optical signal to an electrical output signal, wherein said second coupler is configured to split said optical input signal from said first coupler to said first SOA and said second SOA, said first SOA being configured to saturation to erase amplitude modulation of the optical input signal, and wherein said transceiver unit further comprises: a phase modulation circuit connected to said first SOA and configured to phase modulate a first saturated optical input signal from said first SOA based on data information to be transferred; a first reflection circuit connected to the phase modulation circuit and configured to reflect a phase modulated first saturated optical input signal from the phase modulation circuit back into said phase modulation circuit, wherein said second SOA is configured to saturation to erase amplitude modulation of the optical input signal from the second coupler; and a second reflection circuit connected to said second SOA and configured to reflect a second saturated optical input signal from the second SOA back into said second SOA, wherein said second SOA is further configured to erase amplitude modulation of said second saturated optical input signal, and wherein said first SOA is further configured to erase amplitude modulation of the phase modulated first saturated optical input signal, and wherein said second coupler is further configured to create the amplitude modulated optical output signal by adding a first output signal from said first SOA and a second output signal from the second SOA.