Patent ID: 7359638

Claim:
An optical source generator for wavelength-division-multiplexing optical communication systems, comprising: a pumping-light generation section configured to generate and output pumping lights; a wavelength-division multiplexer/demultiplexer being provided with one multiplexing port and a plurality of demultiplexing ports, being configured to wavelength-division-multiplex and to output optical signals inputted into the multiplexing port, and being configured to wavelength-division-demultiplex and to output optical signals inputted into the demultiplexing ports; an optical path converter being configured to output the pumping lights generated and received from the pumping-light generation section to the multiplexing port of the wavelength-division multiplexer/demultiplexer by converting a path of the pumping lights and being configured to output optical signals outputted from the multiplexing port of the wavelength-division multiplexer/demultiplexer through converted paths for the optical signals; a plurality of wavelength-dependent reflectors, each being connected to one of the respective demultiplexing ports of the wavelength-division multiplexer/demultiplexer and each being configured to reflect only optical signals that have a particular wavelength that corresponds to one of the respective said demultiplexing ports; a plurality of optical fiber amplifiers, each having two sides, one side of which being connected to one of the associated wavelength-dependent reflectors and each amplifier being configured to generate spontaneously emitted lights in response to pumping lights generated from the pumping-light generation section; and, a plurality of wavelength-independent reflectors, each being connected to the other side of one of the respective optical fiber amplifiers, wherein reflectance of each wavelength-dependent reflector and reflectance of each wavelength-independent reflector are controlled independently, thereby enabling optical sources to be transmitted through the respective reflectors unilaterally or bilaterally.