Patent ID: 6898003

Claim:
A dispersion-compensating, Raman optical fiber amplifier used in an optical communications system, comprising: a circulator having a first end, a second end, and a third end for forwarding input optical signals received therein via the first end to the second end and for forwarding optical signals received therein via the second end to the third end; a dispersion-compensating fiber coupled to the second end of the circulator for amplifying optical signals passed therethrough; a pumping light source for outputting a pump light having a predetermined wavelength towards the dispersion-compensating fiber; a wavelength selective coupler coupled to the output of the pumping light source for forwarding the pump light to the dispersion-compensating fiber; a reflector coupled to the output of the dispersion-compensating fiber for reflecting optical signal output back into the dispersion-compensating fiber; and an erbium-doped fiber, disposed between the dispersion-compensating fiber and the reflector, for receiving the output of the dispersion-compensating fiber and for outputting backward ASE (amplified spontaneous emission) to the dispersion compensating fiber.