U.S. patent application number 10/683055 was filed with the patent office on 2006-06-29 for devices and methods for dynamic dispersion compensation.
Invention is credited to Andrey E. Korolev, Dominique Labilloy, Daniel A. Nolan, Vasiliy Solovjev.
Application Number | 20060139740 10/683055 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36611143 |
Filed Date | 2006-06-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060139740 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Korolev; Andrey E. ; et
al. |
June 29, 2006 |
DEVICES AND METHODS FOR DYNAMIC DISPERSION COMPENSATION
Abstract
The present invention provides devices and methods for
dispersion compensation. According to one embodiment of the
invention, a dispersion compensating device includes a negative
dispersion fiber having an input configured to receive the optical
signal, the negative dispersion fiber having a length and
dispersion sufficient to remove any positive chirp from each
wavelength channel of the optical signal, thereby outputting a
negatively chirped optical signal; an amplifying device configured
to amplify the negatively chirped optical signal; and a nonlinear
positive dispersion fiber configured to receive the negatively
chirped optical signal. The devices of the present invention
provide broadband compensation for a systems having a wide range of
variable residual dispersions.
Inventors: |
Korolev; Andrey E.; (St.
Peterburg, RU) ; Labilloy; Dominique; (US) ;
Nolan; Daniel A.; (Corning, NY) ; Solovjev;
Vasiliy; (Saint-Petersburg, RU) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CORNING INCORPORATED
SP-TI-3-1
CORNING
NY
14831
US
|
Family ID: |
36611143 |
Appl. No.: |
10/683055 |
Filed: |
October 10, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60418080 |
Oct 11, 2002 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
359/341.1 ;
359/337.5; 359/338; 385/1; 385/122; 385/123; 385/124; 398/81 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01S 3/06725 20130101;
G02B 6/29394 20130101; H01S 3/06754 20130101; G02B 6/29377
20130101; H01S 3/302 20130101; H01S 3/06758 20130101; H01S 3/06729
20130101; H01S 3/0057 20130101; H01S 3/0064 20130101; H01S 3/0078
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
359/341.1 ;
385/123; 385/124; 385/122; 385/001; 398/081; 359/337.5;
359/338 |
International
Class: |
G02B 6/02 20060101
G02B006/02; H01S 3/00 20060101 H01S003/00 |
Claims
1. A dispersion compensating device for an optical signal having a
plurality of wavelength channels lying within a wavelength range,
the dispersion compensating device comprising: a negative
dispersion fiber having an input configured to receive the optical
signal, the negative dispersion fiber having a length and
dispersion sufficient to remove any positive chirp from each
wavelength channel of the optical signal, thereby outputting a
negatively chirped optical signal; an amplifying device configured
to amplify the negatively chirped optical signal; and a nonlinear
positive dispersion fiber configured to receive the negatively
chirped optical signal, wherein the amplifying device amplifies
each wavelength channel to a level sufficient to cause self-phase
modulation of each wavelength channel in the nonlinear positive
dispersion fiber.
2. The dispersion compensating device of claim 3 wherein the
negative dispersion fiber has a dispersion more negative than about
-50 ps/nm/km over the wavelength range of the optical signal.
3. A dispersion compensating device for an optical signal having a
plurality of wavelength channels lying within a wavelengh range,
the dispersion compensating device comprising: a negative
dispersion fiber having an input configured to receive the optical
signal, the negative dispersion fiber having a length and
dispersion sufficient to remove any positive chirp from each
wavelength channel of the optical signal, thereby outputting a
negatively chirped optical signal: an amplifying device configured
to amplify the negatively chirped optical signal; and a nonlinear
positive dispersion fiber configured to receive the negatively
chirped optical signal, wherein the amnlifning device amplifies
each wavelength channel to a level sufficient to cause self-phase
modulation of each wavelength channel in the nonlinear positive
dispersion fiber, wherein the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber
has an effective area of less than about 35 .mu.m.sup.2, and has a
dispersion more positive than about 8 ps/nm/km.
4. The dispersion compensating device of claim 3, wherein the
lengths and dispersion properties of the negative dispersion fiber
and the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber are chosen such that
their total net dispersion is between about -100 ps/nm and about
100 ps/nm over the wavelength range of the optical signal.
5. The dispersion compensating device of claim 3 wherein the
amplifying device is a discrete amplifier operatively positioned
between the negative dispersion fiber and the nonlinear positive
dispersion fiber.
6. The dispersion compensating device of claim 5, further
comprising a wavelength-dependent attenuator operatively positioned
between the discrete amplifier and the nonlinear positive
dispersion fiber.
7. A dispersion compensating device for an optical signal having a
plurality of wavelength channels lying within a wavelength range,
the dispersion compensating device comprising: a negative
dispersion fiber having an input configured to receive the optical
signal, the negative dispersion fiber having a length and
dispersion sufficient to remove any positive chirp from each
wavelength channel of the optical signal, thereby outputting a
negatively chirped optical signal; an amplifying device configured
to amplify the negatively chirped optical signal; and a nonlinear
positive dispersion fiber to receive the negatively chirped optical
signal, wherein the amplifying device is a Raman pump source
operatively coupled to the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber, the
Raman pump source being configured to amplify the optical signal in
the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber.
8. The dispersion compensating device of claim 7, further
comprising an isolator operatively positioned between the negative
dispersion fiber and the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber, the
isolator being configured to block the propagation of Raman pump
power from the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber to the negative
dispersion fiber.
9. The dispersion compensating device of claim 7, wherein the
amplifying device amplifies each wavelength channel to a level of
at least about 5 mW.
10. (canceled)
11. The dispersion compensating device of claim 3, wherein each
wavelength channel is output from the nonlinear positive dispersion
fiber with a pulse width of less than the bit period of the optical
signal.
12. The dispersion compensating device of claim 3, further
comprising a dispersion decreasing fiber coupled to the output of
the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber.
13. The dispersion compensating device of claim 3, further
comprising a gain flattening filter operatively coupled to the
output of the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber.
14. The dispersion compensating device of claim 13, further
comprising a dispersion decreasing fiber operatively coupled
between the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber and the gain
flattening filter.
15. The dispersion compensating device of claim 13, wherein the
lengths and dispersion properties of the negative dispersion fiber,
the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber, and the dispersion
decreasing fiber are chosen such that their total net dispersion is
between about -100 ps/nm and about 100 ps/nm over the wavelength
range of the optical signal.
16. The dispersion compensating device of claim 3, further
comprising a wavelength-dependent attenuator configured to operate
on the optical signal before it is amplified by the amplifying
device.
17. An optical communications system for an optical signal having a
plurality of wavelength channels lying within a wavelength range,
the optical communications system comprising: a negative dispersion
fiber having an input configured to receive the optical signal, the
negative dispersion fiber having a length and dispersion sufficient
to remove any positive chirp from each wavelength channel of the
optical signal, thereby outputting a negatively chirped optical
signal; an amplifying device configured to amplify the negatively
chirped optical signal; a nonlinear positive dispersion fiber
configured to receive the negatively chirped optical signal,
wherein the amplifying device amplifies each wavelength channel to
a level sufficient to cause self-phase modulation of each
wavelength channel in the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber,
wherein the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber has an effective
area of less than about 35 .mu.m.sup.2.
18. The optical communications system of claim 17 wherein there
exists substantially no transmission fiber operatively coupled
between the negative dispersion fiber and the nonlinear positive
dispersion fiber.
19. A method for performing dispersion compensation of an optical
signal, the optical signal having a plurality of wavelength
channels lying within a wavelength range, the method comprising the
steps of: removing any positive dispersion from each wavelength
channel of the optical signal, thereby forming a negatively chirped
optical signal; amplifying the negatively chirped optical signal;
and propagating the negatively chirped optical signal in a
nonlinear positive dispersion fiber, wherein the nonlinear positive
dispersion fiber has an effective area of less than about 35
.mu.m.sup.2.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of removing any
positive dispersion is performed by propagating the optical signal
through a negative dispersion fiber having a length and dispersion
sufficient to remove any positive chirp from each wavelength
channel of the optical signal.
21. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of amplifying the
negatively chirped optical signal is performed by propagating the
optical signal through a discrete amplifier.
22. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of amplifyfing the
negatively chirped optical signal is-performed by propagating the
optical signal through the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber and
Raman pumping the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S.
Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/418080 filed on Oct. 11, 2002,
which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates generally to optical
communications, and more specifically to devices and methods
providing dispersion compensation of an optical signal.
[0004] 2. Technical Background
[0005] As the bit rates of optical communications systems increase,
the deleterious effects of dispersion in the optical fibers used in
long-distance transmission become increasingly important.
Dispersion causes an optical pulse to spread out in time; the
longer wavelength components of the pulse travel along the fiber at
a different rate than do the shorter wavelength components of the
pulse. Typically, long-distance transmission fibers (e.g.
LEAF.RTM., available from Corning Incorporated of Corning, N.Y.)
have a small but non-negligible positive dispersion, causing the
shorter wavelength components to arrive at a network node before
the longer wavelength components. Such a pulse is said to be
positively chirped. This temporal spreading can cause loss of
signal fidelity and an increase in bit error rate.
[0006] Conventional methods of dispersion compensation use
dispersion compensating fiber to reverse the effects of dispersion
in the transmission fiber. Dispersion compensating fiber typically
has a large negative dispersion to counteract the positive
dispersion of the transmission fiber. In one type of conventional
dispersion compensating device, a dispersion compensating fiber is
packaged on a spool in a module. The length and dispersion
properties of the dispersion compensating fiber are chosen to
balance the dispersion of the span of transmission fiber to which
it is coupled. A positively chirped optical signal from the
transmission fiber is propagated through the dispersion
compensating fiber, and the negative dispersion of the dispersion
compensating fiber removes the positive chirp from the optical
signal, forming a signal with essentially no chirp. While such
conventional methods are relatively simple to implement, they are
limited in that they are passive; the dispersion compensation
properties of such passive dispersion compensation devices are
determined by the length and dispersion properties of the
dispersion compensating fiber. If the chirp of the incoming optical
signal is substantially different than that for which the device
was designed, the device will be ineffective at providing an
essentially chirp-free optical signal. Such devices are also
generally unable to remove all of the chirp of the optical signal,
imposing a residual dispersion on the transmission link. In an
optical communications system with large distances of transmission
fiber and multiple passive dispersion compensation devices, the
residual dispersion can have a significant impact on the quality of
the optical signal. Residual dispersion is especially damaging in
long-distance (e.g. >1000 km) 10 Gb/s systems as well as in 40
Gb/s systems.
[0007] Wavelength division multiplexing techniques have become
ubiquitous in optical communications. As such, optical signals
typically have a plurality of wavelength channels over a relatively
broad (e.g. tens of nanometers) range of wavelengths. It is
therefore desirable for dispersion compensating devices to provide
dispersion compensation over a broad range of wavelengths.
Conventional grating-based devices and planar waveguide-based
devices provide controllable dispersion compensation only over a
relatively narrow band of wavelengths, and are very expensive to
produce. Micro-optic-based dispersion compensators have also been
proposed. While these devices can provide broadband compensation,
they suffer from high excess loss and low reliability.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] One aspect of the present invention relates to a dispersion
compensating device for an optical signal having a plurality of
wavelength channels lying within a wavelength range, the dispersion
compensating device including a negative dispersion fiber having an
input configured to receive the optical signal, the negative
dispersion fiber having a length and dispersion sufficient to
remove any positive chirp from each wavelength channel of the
optical signal, thereby outputting a negatively chirped optical
signal; an amplifying device configured to amplify the negatively
chirped optical signal; a nonlinear positive dispersion fiber
configured to receive the negatively chirped optical signal.
[0009] Another aspect of the present invention relates to an
optical communications system for an optical signal having a
plurality of wavelength channels lying within a wavelength range,
the optical communications system including a negative dispersion
fiber having an input configured to receive the optical signal, the
negative dispersion fiber having a length and dispersion sufficient
to remove any positive chirp from each wavelength channel of the
optical signal, thereby outputting a negatively chirped optical
signal; an amplifying device configured to amplify the negatively
chirped optical signal; and a nonlinear positive dispersion fiber
configured to receive the negatively chirped optical signal.
[0010] Another aspect of the present invention relates to A method
for performing dispersion compensation of an optical signal, the
optical signal having a plurality of wavelength channels lying
within a wavelength range, the method including the steps of
removing any positive dispersion from each wavelength channel of
the optical signal, thereby forming a negatively chirped optical
signal; amplifying the negatively chirped optical signal; and
propagating the negatively chirped optical signal in a nonlinear
positive dispersion fiber.
[0011] The devices and methods of the present invention result in a
number of advantages over prior art devices and methods. For
example, the present invention provides a dispersion compensating
device that can provide broadband compensation of a wavelength
division multiplexed optical signal. The dispersion compensating
devices, systems and methods of the present invention can
effectively compress pulses having a wide range of chirps, thereby
providing compensation for a wide range of residual dispersion
values. The dispersion compensating devices, systems and methods of
the present invention provide compression of pulses having a wide
dynamic range of pulse widths and peak powers. The devices are
fiber-based, and therefore do not suffer from high insertion losses
associated with coupling energy into planar or micro-optic devices.
The devices, systems and methods of the present invention rely on a
nonlinear effect to provide dynamic compensation; as such, the
device will react quickly to changes in the chirp of the optical
signal. The dispersion compensating devices of the present
invention can also provide gain to an optical signal. The devices
and methods of the present invention are especially useful for
compensation of residual dispersion in long-distance 10 Gb/s and in
40 Gb/s optical communications systems.
[0012] Additional features and advantages of the invention will be
set forth in the detailed description which follows, and in part
will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the
description or recognized by practicing the invention as described
in the written description and claims hereof, as well as in the
appended drawings.
[0013] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general
description and the following detailed description are merely
exemplary of the invention, and are intended to provide an overview
or framework for understanding the nature and character of the
invention as it is claimed.
[0014] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further
understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this specification. The drawings are not
necessarily to scale, and sizes of various elements may be
distorted for clarity. The drawings illustrate one or more
embodiment(s) of the invention, and together with the description
serve to explain the principles and operation of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a dispersion compensating
device according to one embodiment of the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing pulse width and chirp of three
wavelength channels at various points in the dispersion
compensating device of FIG. 1;
[0017] FIG. 3 is a graph showing the qualitative relationship
between pulse width of amplified negatively chirped pulses and
propagation distance in a nonlinear positive dispersion fiber;
[0018] FIG. 4 is a diagram of a profile of a suitable nonlinear
positive dispersion fiber for use in the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 5 is a diagram of a profile of another suitable
nonlinear positive dispersion fiber for use in the present
invention;
[0020] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a dispersion compensating
device according to another embodiment of the present
invention;
[0021] FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a dispersion compensating
device using Raman amplification according to another embodiment of
the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a dispersion compensating
device using Raman amplification in conjunction with a discrete
amplifier according to another embodiment of the present
invention;
[0023] FIG. 9 is a graph showing Q factor vs. per channel power for
the two channel experiment of Example 1;
[0024] FIG. 10 is a graph showing Q factor improvement vs. per
channel power for multiple channel experiments of Example 1;
[0025] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of the experimental setup of
Example 2;
[0026] FIG. 12 is a graph showing pulse width vs. input signal
power for three different Raman pump powers for the experiment of
Example 2; and
[0027] FIG. 13 is a set of autocorrelation traces for a series of
different Raman pump powers for the experiment of Example 2.
DEFINITIONS
[0028] The following definitions are in accord with common usage in
the art.
[0029] The refractive index profile is the relationship between
refractive index and optical fiber radius.
[0030] Delta, .DELTA., is the relative refractive index percent,
.DELTA.=(n.sub.i.sup.2-n.sub.c.sup.2)/2n.sub.c.sup.2, where n.sub.i
is the specified refractive index in region i, and n.sub.c is the
average refractive index of the cladding region. Deltas are
conventionally expressed as percents.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0031] One aspect of the present invention relates to a dispersion
compensating device including a negative dispersion fiber, an
amplifying device, and a positive dispersion fiber. A dispersion
compensating device according to one aspect of the present
invention is shown in schematic view in FIG. 1. Dispersion
compensating device 20 includes a negative dispersion fiber 22, a
discrete amplifier 24, and a nonlinear positive dispersion fiber 26
connected in series. An input optical signal 30 including distorted
pulses 32, 34 and 36 enter the device at the negative dispersion
fiber. Each of the distorted pulses 32, 34 and 36 may be from a
single wavelength channel of a wavelength division multiplexed
optical signal. Pulses coming from conventional optical
communications systems may have a positive chirp or a negative
chirp, depending on the wavelength dependence of the dispersion
characteristics of the transmission fibers and dispersion
compensating devices of the system. In the example of FIG. 1, pulse
32 has a larger positive chirp than does pulse 34, while pulse 36
has a negative chirp In the drawings of the present application,
positively chirped pulses are drawn as positive peaks (e.g. pulse
32), while negatively chirped pulses are drawn as negative peaks
(e.g. pulse 36).
[0032] The pulses 32, 34 and 36 propagate through the negative
dispersion fiber 22. In desirable embodiments of the invention, the
input optical signal 30 is not intense enough to cause significant
nonlinear effects in the negative dispersion fiber. The negative
dispersion fiber 22 has a length and negative dispersion sufficient
to remove any positive chirp from each of the wavelength channels
of the input optical signal 30. For example, the negative
dispersion fiber may have a dispersion more negative than -50
ps/nm/km over the wavelength range of the input optical signal 30.
In desirable embodiments of the present invention, the negative
dispersion fiber has a length sufficient to impose a dispersion
more negative than -300 ps/nm on the input optical signal.
Propagation of the input optical signal 30 through the negative
dispersion fiber yields a negatively chirped optical signal 40. In
the example of FIG. 1, the negatively chirped optical signal 40
includes negatively chirped pulses 42, 44 and 46. Pulse 42 has the
smallest negative chirp, while pulse 46 has the largest negative
chirp.
[0033] The negatively chirped optical signal 40 is coupled into
discrete amplifier 24. The discrete amplifier 24 may be, for
example, an erbium-doped fiber amplifier, or a discrete Raman
amplifier, and desirably has a control mechanism operable to adjust
the gain of the amplifier. In embodiments of the present invention
having germania-doped silica based nonlinear positive dispersion
fibers, the amplifier desirably increases the power carried by each
wavelength channel to at least about 5 mW. In especially desirable
embodiments of the present invention having germania-doped silica
based nonlinear positive dispersion fibers, the amplifier increases
the power carried by each wavelength channel to at least about 15
mW. In embodiments of the present invention having nonlinear
positive dispersion fibers with higher nonlinearity than silica
(e.g. chalcogenide photonic crystal or `holey` fibers), the
amplifier may provide signinficantly less amplification.
[0034] The amplified negatively chirped optical signal 50
(including amplified pulses 52, 54 and 56) is coupled into
nonlinear positive dispersion fiber 26. The amplified negatively
chirped optical signal has a power sufficient to cause significant
nonlinear effects in the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber 26. In
the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber 26, the interplay of pulse
compression due to the positive linear dispersion of the fiber and
pulse expansion due to self phase modulation in the fiber acts to
provide compressed pulses at the output of the fiber. For example,
pulse 46 in FIG. 1 has a relatively large negative chirp. As the
pulse propagates along the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber, the
positive dispersion of the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber will
serve to narrow pulse 46. As the pulse becomes more and more
narrow, its power density increases, and pulse expansion due to
self phase modulation becomes more and more important, gradually
lessening the compression effect of the positive dispersion of the
fiber. At some level of pulse compression, the expansion due to
self phase modulation essentially balances the compression due to
dispersion, causing the pulse to propagate through the remainder of
the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber without any further
significant compression or expansion. The length of the nonlinear
positive dispersion fiber is chosen to guarantee that pulses with
the smallest positive chirp at the input of the device (and hence
the largest negative chirp at the input of the nonlinear positive
dispersion fiber) propagate a sufficient distance in the nonlinear
positive dispersion fiber to achieve the state of self phase
modulation/dispersion balance.
[0035] A diagram quantitatively showing pulse width and chirp at
various points in the device of FIG. 1 is shown in FIG. 2. Upon
entering the device, pulse 32 has a larger pulse width than does
pulse 34. Both pulses 32 and 34 are positively chirped. Pulse 36
has a negative chirp. After the negative dispersion fiber, all
three pulses are negatively chirped, with pulse 46 having the
largest negative chirp and pulse width. The pulses are amplified to
yield amplified pulses 52, 54 and 56. As pulse 56 propagates
through the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber, the positive
dispersion of the fiber compresses the pulse. As the pulse becomes
more and more compressed, its peak power increases, causing
expansion due to self phase modulation to become increasingly
important. Eventually, the expansion and compression cancel each
other out, and compressed pulse 57 propagates through the remainder
of the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber with little further
change in pulse width. Pulse 54 is narrower in width than pulse 56,
and reaches the state of dispersion/self phase modulation balance
before pulse 57. Pulse 52 is already mostly compressed when it
enters the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber, and reaches the
state of dispersion/self phase modulation balance after a
relatively short propagation distance. It is noted that while the
output signal 59 is shown here as having a slight negative chirp,
the chirp of the pulses of the output signal may be negative,
positive, or essentially zero.
[0036] The amount of self phase modulation of a pulse in an optical
fiber is proportional to the power of the pulse. As such, the
effective gain of the amplifier can be controlled to select a
desired level of self phase modulation in the nonlinear positive
dispersion fiber, and therefore determine the balance between
dispersion and self phase modulation. It is noted that the
effective gain of the amplifier can be controlled by adjusting the
gain of the amplifier itself, or by using a variable optical
attenuator at the output of the amplifier. FIG. 3 is a graph
showing the qualitative relationship between pulse width of
amplified negatively chirped pulses and propagation distance in a
nonlinear positive dispersion fiber for input pulses having the
same pulse width but different peak powers. Higher amplification
causes more self phase modulation, which causes the more amplified
pulse to reach a state of compression/expansion balance earlier in
the fiber than the less amplified pulses. The gain of the amplifier
can be set by the skilled artisan to minimize the width of the
pulses propagating in the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber.
Feedback control may also be used to dynamically control the pulse
widths.
[0037] The skilled artisan can use standard numerical methods to
simulate the balance between self phase modulation and fiber
dispersion for purposes of device design. For example, the total
field method proposed by Francois in "Nonlinear propagation of
ultrashort pulses in optical fibers: total field formulation in the
frequency domain," J. Opt. Soc. Am B, Vol. 8, No. 2, pp 276-293,
February 1991, which is incorporated herein by reference, may be
used. A good approximation of the pulse power required to balance
dispersion and self phase modulation in a nonlinear positive
dispersion fiber is given by the equation P = .lamda. 3 .times. DA
1.28 .times. .pi. 2 .times. cn 2 .times. .tau. 2 ##EQU1## in which
P is the power of the pulse, .lamda. is the center wavelength of
the pulse, D is the dispersion of the optical fiber (e.g. in
ps/nm/km), c is the speed of light, n.sub.2 is the nonlinear index
of refraction of the material of the core of the nonlinear positive
dispersion fiber (e.g.: silica has n.sub.2.about.3.times.10.sup.-16
cm.sup.2/W), and .tau. is the width of the pulse. Further
information regarding soliton propagation may be found in Fiber
Optics Handbook, Michael Bass ed., Chapter 7: "Solitons in Optical
Fiber Communication Systems," P. V. Manyshev, McGraw-Hill,
2002.
[0038] In order to minimize the power required to achieve the
desired balance of self phase modulation and dispersion, it may be
desirable for the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber to have an
effective area less than about 35 .mu.m.sup.2, and a dispersion
more positive than about 8 ps/nm/km. For use with optical
communication systems operating at 10 Gb/s, it may be desirable for
the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber to have a dispersion
between about 15 ps/nm/km and about 30 ps/nm/km over the wavelength
range of the optical signal. An example of a suitable nonlinear
positive dispersion fiber for use in a 10 Gb/s device is shown in
FIG. 4. At a wavelength of 1550 nm, the fiber of FIG. 4 is
predicted to have a single mode cutoff wavelength of about 1545 nm,
an effective area of about 18 .mu.m.sup.2, a dispersion of about 23
ps/nm/km, a dispersion slope of about 0.052 ps/nm.sup.2/km, and an
attenuation of about 0.25 dB/km. Suitable nonlinear positive
dispersion fibers for use with optical communication systems
operating at 40 Gb/s have dispersion values between about 8 and
about 20 ps/nm/km over the wavelength range of the optical signal.
An example of a suitable nonlinear positive dispersion fiber for
use in a 40 Gb/s device is shown in FIG. 5. At a wavelength of 1550
nm, the fiber of FIG. 5 is predicted to have a single mode cutoff
wavelength of about 1331 nm, an effective area of about 13
.mu.m.sup.2, a dispersion of about 10 ps/nm/km, a dispersion slope
of about 0.033 ps/nm.sup.2/km, and an attenuation of about 0.27
dB/km. The nonlinear positive dispersion fibers of FIGS. 4 and 5
can be fabricated by the skilled artisan, for example, using
germanium and fluorine-doping of silica glass using standard OVD,
MCVD, PCVD or VAD methods. Other nonlinear positive dispersion
fibers may be used in the present invention. For example, the
skilled artisan may use microstructured optical fibers (e.g.
photonic crystal or `holey` fibers), such as those formed from
chalcogenide glass materials and described in U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/146,199, which is incorporated herein by
reference. It is noted that due to the high nonlinearity of the
chalcogenide glass materials, much lower pulse powers would be
necessary to balance dispersion and self-phase modulation in such
fibers.
[0039] Another embodiment of the invention is shown in schematic
view in FIG. 6. The dispersion compensating device 60 includes a
negative dispersion fiber 62, a discrete amplifier 64, and a
nonlinear positive dispersion fiber 66, as described in connection
with FIG. 1. A pre-amplifier 67 is coupled to the input of the
negative dispersion fiber. The pre-amplifier may be used to provide
enough gain to the incoming optical signal so that it is not
irreparably damaged by attenuation in the negative dispersion
fiber. Desirably, the pre-amplifier does not boost the power of the
incoming optical signal to a level sufficient to cause nonlinear
effects in the negative dispersion fiber.
[0040] The dispersion compensating device 60 also includes a
wavelength-dependent attenuator 68 operatively positioned between
the discrete amplifier and the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber.
The wavelength-dependent attenuator can be any suitable device that
provides differing levels of attenuation for different wavelength
channels of the optical signal. The wavelength-dependent attenuator
may be passive or actively controllable, and may be based on
various technologies, such as fiber Bragg gratings and cascaded
Mach-Zehnder interferometers. The wavelength-dependent attenuator
may be, for example, a tilt VOA or a slope VOA, such as those
described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/929,498, which is
incorporated herein by reference; or a dynamic gain flattening
filter such as that described in U.S. patent application Ser. No.
09/902,424, and in U.S. Patent Application Publication
2002/0054726, which are incorporated herein by reference. The
wavelength-dependent attenuator allows the skilled artisan to
adjust the compression of individual wavelength channels relative
to one another. As discussed above, the compression of a pulse
depends on both the dispersion of the nonlinear positive dispersion
fiber and power of the pulse. The nonlinear positive dispersion
fiber may have a significantly different dispersion for each
wavelength channel of the optical signal. The amplifier may
likewise have a significantly different gain for each wavelength
channel of the optical signal. The skilled artisan may use the
wavelength-dependent attenuator to adjust the pulse power of each
wavelength channel to achieve a desired level of pulse compression.
The wavelength-dependent attenuator may, for example, be used to
flatten the gain of the discrete amplifier. The
wavelength-dependent attenuator may also be used to provide higher
pulse powers to wavelength channels having a higher wavelength or a
higher dispersion in the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber. While
in this embodiment the wavelength-dependent attenuator is
operatively positioned between the discrete amplifier and the
nonlinear positive dispersion fiber, it may also be positioned
between the negative dispersion and the discrete amplifier in order
to provide power compensation before amplification.
[0041] Dispersion compensating device 60 of FIG. 6 also includes a
dispersion decreasing fiber 70 coupled to the output of the
nonlinear positive dispersion fiber. A dispersion decreasing fiber
is an optical fiber having a dispersion decreasing along its
length. Dispersion decreasing fibers are described, for example, in
"A Single Mode-Fiber with Chromatic Dispersion Varying Along the
Length", Bogatyrev et al., J. Lightwave Tech., Vol. 9, No. 5, pp
561-566, 1991, which is incorporated herein by reference. When
pulses with powers on the order of 10 mW are coupled from a high
positive dispersion fiber to a low positive dispersion fiber, they
can become distorted (e.g. by formation of pedestals). The
dispersion decreasing fiber acts to transmit the compressed, high
power pulses of the optical signal to a transmission fiber (e.g.
LEAF.RTM., available from Corning Incorporated of Corning, N.Y.)
without distortion. As an alternative to a single dispersion
decreasing fiber, a plurality of shorter fiber lengths, each having
a lower dispersion than the previous fiber, may be used.
[0042] Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in
schematic view in FIG. 7. In this embodiment of the invention,
Raman pumping is used to provide gain in the nonlinear positive
dispersion fiber. Dispersion compensating device 90 includes a
negative dispersion fiber 92 and a nonlinear positive dispersion
fiber 94 connected in series. The dispersion compensating device
also includes an amplifying device configured to amplify the
negatively chirped optical signal. According to this embodiment of
the invention, the amplifying device is a Raman pump source 96
configured to cause Raman amplification of the optical signal in
the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber 94. As shown in FIG. 7, the
Raman pump source 96 may be configured to counterpump the nonlinear
dispersion fiber; as the skilled artisan will appreciate,
co-pumping or co-counterpumping configurations may also be used. An
isolator 98 may be operatively positioned between the nonlinear
positive dispersion fiber and the negative dispersion fiber to
block the propagation of Raman pump power from the nonlinear
positive dispersion fiber to the negative dispersion fiber. This
embodiment of the invention is especially useful when the nonlinear
positive dispersion fiber has an especially high nonlinearity (e.g.
chalcogenide glass fibers).
[0043] The nonlinear positive dispersion fiber will have a
non-negligible propagation loss. As such, in using the device of
FIG. 1, the gain of the discrete amplifier must be set high enough
to ensure that pulses are sufficiently intense at the end of the
fiber to maintain the state of balance between self phase
modulation and dispersion. The gain may be required to be high
enough that other nonlinear effects (e.g. cross phase modulation
and four wave mixing) distort the optical signal. Raman pumping can
also be advantageously used in conjunction with a discrete
amplifier to reduce the gain necessary from the discrete amplifier.
An example of such a device is shown in FIG. 8. Device 100 includes
a negative dispersion fiber 102, a discrete amplifier 104, and a
nonlinear positive dispersion fiber 106, as described in connection
with FIG. 1. The device also includes a Raman pump source 108
coupled to the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber via a WDM
coupler 110. Raman pumping of the nonlinear positive dispersion
fiber will provide additional amplification of the optical signal,
allowing the gain of discrete amplifier 104 to be reduced.
Desirably, the Raman pumping provides about enough amplification to
counteract the effects of attenuation in the nonlinear positive
dispersion fiber. In especially desirable embodiments of the
present invention, the Raman pumping provides significant
amplification over and above that needed to counteract the
attenuation of the fiber, further reducing the gain necessary from
the discrete amplifier.
[0044] The devices of the present invention may further include an
enclosure in which the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber and the
negative dispersion fiber are packaged. The amplifying device (e.g.
discrete amplifier or Raman pump source) may also be packaged in
the enclosure; alternatively, the amplifying device or Raman pump
source may be located outside the enclosure.
[0045] Another aspect of the invention relates to an optical
communications system including a negative dispersion fiber having
an input configured to receive the optical signal, the negative
dispersion fiber having a length and dispersion sufficient to
remove any positive chirp from each wavelength channel of the
optical signal, thereby outputting a negatively chirped optical
signal; an amplifying device configured to amplify the negatively
chirped optical signal; a nonlinear positive dispersion fiber
configured to receive the negatively chirped optical signal. The
negative dispersion fiber, amplifying device, and nonlinear
positive dispersion fiber have properties substantially as
described above. In desired embodiments of the present invention,
there exists substantially no transmission fiber (e.g. less than 10
km, more desirably less than 1 km) operatively coupled between the
negative dispersion fiber and the nonlinear positive dispersion
fiber. It is noted that the length of fiber included in a discrete
amplifier is not considered herein to be transmission fiber. The
negative dispersion fiber and the nonlinear positive dispersion
fiber may optionally be packaged in an enclosure. The systems of
the present invention may be practiced substantially as described
above in connection with the devices of the present invention.
[0046] Another aspect of the invention relates to a method for
performing dispersion compensation of an optical signal having a
plurality of wavelength channels lying within a wavelength range.
The method includes the steps of removing any positive dispersion
from each wavelength channel of the optical signal, thereby forming
a negatively chirped optical signal; amplifying the negatively
chirped optical signal; and propagating the negatively chirped
optical signal in a nonlinear positive dispersion fiber. As
described above in connection to FIG. 1, the step of removing any
positive dispersion may be performed by propagating the optical
signal through a negative dispersion fiber having a length and
dispersion sufficient to remove any positive chirp from each
wavelength channel of the optical signal. The step of amplifying
the negatively chirped optical signal is performed by propagating
the optical signal through a discrete amplifier; or may be
performed by Raman pumping the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber.
The negative dispersion fiber, amplifying device, and nonlinear
positive dispersion fiber have properties substantially as
described above. The gain of the amplification may be controlled to
provide a desired level of compression of the pulses of the optical
signal. The methods of the present invention may be practiced
substantially as described above in connection with the devices of
the present invention.
EXAMPLES
[0047] The present invention is further described by the following
non-limiting examples.
Example 1
[0048] A dispersion compensating device including a negative
dispersion fiber, an amplifying device, and a nonlinear positive
dispersion fiber was constructed as shown in FIG. 1. The negative
dispersion fiber was a flat slope dispersion compensating single
mode fiber of a length sufficient to impose a dispersion of -440
ps/nm. The amplifying device included an erbium-doped fiber
amplifier capable of 100 mW output along with a variable optical
attenuator to control the gain of the amplifier. The nonlinear
positive dispersion fiber had a dispersion of -22 ps/nm/km at a
wavelength of 1550 nm, a propagation loss of about 0.45 dB/km, an
effective area of 38 .mu.m.sup.2, and a length of 20 km.
[0049] An optical transmission system was coupled to the input of
the negative dispersion fiber. The optical network system included
12 optical nodes (e.g. 4 optical cross-connects and 7 optical
add-drop multiplexers) with II spans of LEAF.RTM. 100 km in length
connecting the nodes. Each span of LEAF.RTM. was compensated using
a dispersion compensating module. An extra length of fiber was
added to the system to yield a residual dispersion of about 300
ps/nm at 1535.78 nm. The optical signal-to-noise ratio at the end
of the transmission system was about 21 dB. The output of the
dispersion compensating device was coupled to a photodetector.
[0050] An optical signal was allowed to propagate through the
optical transmission system, through the dispersion compensating
device, and into the photodetector. The optical signal had 38
channels at a 100 GHz channel spacing, with each channel carrying a
10 Gb/s RZ signal with a 50% duty cycle. In a first experiment,
only two channels (1535.78 nm and 1537.38 nm) were allowed to
couple from the transmission system to the dispersion compensating
device. FIG. 9 shows a graph ror the 1535.78 nm channel of system Q
factor vs. the per channel power of the amplifying device of the
dispersion compensating device. A maximum increase in Q factor of
about 1.5 dB is achieved with a per channel power of about 30 mW.
This improvement is significantly higher than the penalty arising
from the dispersion itself, which results from the fact that the
pulses can be compressed even further than the 50% duty cycle with
which they were transmitted. For power levels greater than 30 mW,
the Q factor begins to be reduced as a result of eye closure due to
overcompression of the pulse. It is noted that the 1537.38 nm
channel exhibited a similar increase in Q factor.
[0051] In subsequent experiments, greater numbers of channels (e.g.
4, 5, 8) were coupled into the dispersion compensating device.
Similar trends in increase in Q factor were achieved in these
multi-channel systems. It is noted that the per channel power was
limited in these experiments by the 100 mW output power of the
erbium-doped fiber amplifier. For example, the maximum per channel
power for the 5 channel experiment was 20 mW, which does not appear
to be sufficient for optimum pulse compression. The nonlinear
positive dispersion fiber used in these experiments had a
relatively large effective area; the power requirements of the
device would be greatly relaxed by use of a nonlinear positive
dispersion fiber with a smaller effective area.
[0052] Very little pulse distortion due to cross phase modulation
and four wave mixing was observed at 100 GHz channel spacings.
However, some cross phase modulation was observed in experiments at
50 GHz; for 50 GHz systems, it may be desirable to separate the 50
GHz signal into two interleaved 100 GHz signals, then use two
separate dispersion compensating devices.
Example 2
[0053] The effect of Raman pumping on the devices of the present
invention was investigated using the experimental setup of FIG. 11.
A negatively chirped input signal was generated by gain switching a
DFB laser diode 112 at 10 GHz. The center wavelength of the signal
was 1546.72 nm, and the spectral bandwidth and duration of the
pulses were 0.32 nm and 21.7 ps, respectively. The estimated chirp
parameter of the pulses was C=1.67. The gain of the laser diode was
adjusted to provide a desired signal power. It is noted that the
high power, negatively chirped input signal simulated the output of
the amplifying device in the devices of the present invention.
[0054] The negatively chirped input signal was coupled into a 5773
m length of nonlinear positive dispersion fiber 114 having a loss
at 1450 nm of 0.766 dB/km, a loss at 1550 nm of 0.448 dB/km, a mode
field diameter at 1550 nm of 4.416 .mu.m, a dispersion at 1550 nm
of 3.961 ps/nm/km, a dispersion slope at 1550 nm of 0.0486
ps/nm.sup.2/km, and a single mode cutoff wavelength of 1129 nm. The
total attenuation of the fiber in the experiment was measured to be
about 5.5 dB at the signal wavelength. A Raman pump source 116
operating at 1440.5 nm was configured to counterpump the nonlinear
dispersion fiber 114. Pulse compression experiments were performed
at a variety of input signal powers (simulating the effect of
amplifying device gain in the devices of the present invention) and
Raman pump powers.
[0055] FIG. 12 is a graph of pulse width vs. input signal power for
a three different Raman pump powers. The skilled artisan will note
that the threshold input signal power necessary for achieving
dispersion compensation was significantly reduced by Raman pumping
of the nonlinear positive dispersion fiber. FIG. 13 is a set of
autocorrelation traces for the input signal pulse and output pulses
for an average input signal power of 70.46 mW. The pedestal-shaped
distortion of the output signal may be minimized by judicious
choice of Raman pump power. It is noted that in this experiment,
the output signal distortions were minimized when the Raman pump
power was set at a level such that the Raman gain in the fiber
approximately negated the propagation loss of the fiber at the
signal wavelength.
[0056] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various
modifications and variations can be made to the present invention
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus,
it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications
and variations of this invention provided they come within the
scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *