Patent ID: 8873966

Claim:
A system for transmitting and receiving optical signals, the system comprising: a medium responsive to an outgoing data signal for providing and amplifying a signal having a first wavelength to provide an outgoing optical signal; a first reflector located at one end of the medium and operative to: partially reflect first light emitting from a medium back to the medium for amplification and partially pass the first light from the medium as the outgoing optical signal, the first light having the first wavelength, substantially pass second light to the medium, the second light being an incoming optical signal having a second wavelength, the second wavelength being different from the first wavelength, and a front reflector having a lower transmittivity at the first wavelength than a transmittivity at the second wavelength; a rear reflector located at another end of the medium and operative to: partially reflect the first light emitting from the medium back to the medium for amplification and partially pass the first light emitting from the medium, and substantially pass the second light from the medium, and the rear reflector having a lower transmittivity at the first wavelength than a transmittivity at the second wavelength; a detector located on a side of the rear reflector opposite the medium and operative to produce an electrical signal in response to receiving the first light and the second light passed by the rear reflector; and an electrical circuit, connected to the detector and responsive to the electrical signal and the outgoing data signal, to provide an incoming data signal.