Efficient optical signal amplification systems and methods

1. An optical communication amplification system, comprising:

an optical splitter to separate an optical signal into at least a first optical wavelength band signal portion and the second optical wavelength band signal portion;

a first optical amplifier operably coupled to the optical splitter, the first optical amplifier to increase the energy of the second optical wavelength band signal portion;

an optical combiner that combines the first optical wavelength band signal portion and the amplified second optical wavelength band signal portion; and

an optical filter operably coupled to the optical combiner, wherein a portion of the energy of the first optical wavelength band signal portion reflected from the optical filter is received by the first optical amplifier where the received energy increases the energy of the second optical wavelength band signal portion.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second optical amplifier that receives the optical signal and increases the energy of at least the first optical wavelength band signal portion of the received optical signal.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising:

a first optical isolator operably coupled to an input of the second optical amplifier that increases the energy of at least the first optical wavelength band signal portion of the received optical signal.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the second optical amplifier that increases the energy of at least the first optical wavelength band signal portion of the received optical signal comprises a C-band/L-band erbium doped fiber amplifier (C/L-EDFA).

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second optical amplifier disposed subsequent to the optical splitter to receive the first optical wavelength band signal portion and increase an energy level of the first optical wavelength band signal portion.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

an optical circulator having a first port operably coupled to the optical combiner, a second port operably coupled to the optical filter, and a third port operably coupled to the first optical amplifier such that at least a portion of the energy of the reflected first optical wavelength band signal portion reflected from the optical filter is provided to the first optical amplifier.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein energy of the second optical wavelength band signal portion reflected from the optical filter is provided to the optical splitter.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

an optical isolator operably coupled to the first optical amplifier that increases the energy of the second optical wavelength band signal portion.

9. The system of claim 1 :

wherein the first optical wavelength band signal portion comprises a C-band;

wherein the second optical wavelength band signal portion comprises an L-band; and

wherein the optical amplifier that increases the energy of the second optical wavelength band signal portion comprises a C-band/L-band erbium doped fiber amplifier (C/L-EDFA).

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the optical splitter comprises a three-port C-band/L-band optical de-multiplexer that transmits the C-band wavelength signal portion and reflects the L-band wavelength signal portion.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the optical combiner comprises a four-port C-band/L-band optical multiplexer that reflects the C-band wavelength signal portion and transmits the L-band wavelength signal portion.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the optical filter comprises a gain flattening filter (GFF).

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the GFF comprises a Short Period Fiber Bragg Grating GFF.

14. An optical communication amplification method, comprising:

splitting an optical signal into a first optical wavelength band signal portion and a second optical wavelength band signal portion;

amplifying, via a first optical amplifier, the second optical wavelength band signal portion of the optical signal;

combining the first optical wavelength band signal portion and the amplified second optical wavelength band signal portion to provide an amplified optical signal;

filtering, via at least one optical filter, the amplified optical signal;

receiving, by the optical amplifier, at least a portion of the first optical wavelength band signal portion reflected by the at least one optical filter; and

increasing the energy of the first optical amplifier using energy in the reflected portion of the first optical wavelength band signal portion.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

amplifying, via a second-optical amplifier, at least the first optical wavelength band signal portion of the optical signal prior to splitting the optical signal into the first optical wavelength band signal portion and the second optical wavelength band signal portion.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

amplifying, via a second optical amplifier, at least the first optical wavelength band signal portion of the optical signal subsequent to splitting the optical signal into the first optical wavelength band signal portion and the second optical wavelength band signal portion.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein splitting an optical signal into a first optical wavelength band signal portion and a second optical wavelength band signal portion comprises:

splitting the optical signal into a C-band signal portion and an L-band portion signal using a three-port, C-band/L-band, wavelength division demultiplexer.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein amplifying, via a first optical amplifier, the second optical wavelength band signal portion of the optical signal comprises:

amplifying the L-band signal portion of the optical signal using an L-band erbium doped fiber amplifier (L-EDFA).

19. The method of claim 18 wherein combining the first optical wavelength band signal and the amplified second optical wavelength band signal to provide an amplified combined optical signal comprises:

combining the C-band signal portion and the amplified L-band signal portion to provide an amplified optical signal using a four-port, C-band/L-band, wavelength division multiplexer.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein filtering, via at least one optical filter, the amplified optical signal comprises:

filtering, via at least one Gain Flattening Filter (GFF), the amplified optical signal.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein filtering, via at least one Gain Flattening Filter (GFF), the amplified optical signal comprises:

filtering, via at least one Short Period Fiber Bragg Grating, the amplified optical signal.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein reflecting at least a portion of the first optical wavelength band signal portion of the amplified optical signal from the at least one optical filter comprises:

reflecting at least a portion of the C-band signal portion of the amplified optical signal from the at least one GFF.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein increasing the energy of the first optical amplifier using energy in the reflected portion of the first optical wavelength band signal portion reflected by the at least one optical filter comprises:

increasing the energy of the L-EDFA using energy in the reflected portion of the C-band signal portion reflected by the at least one GFF.

24. An optical communication amplification method, comprising:

amplifying, by an input optical amplifier, an optical signal that includes at least a first optical wavelength band signal portion and a second optical wavelength band signal portion;

passing the amplified optical signal through at least one optical filter;

receiving, at the first optical amplifier, at least a portion of energy in the first optical wavelength band signal portion reflected by the at least one optical filter; and

increasing the energy of the first optical amplifier used to increase the energy level of the second optical wavelength signal portion using the reflected energy in the first optical wavelength signal portion.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein amplifying an optical signal that includes at least a first optical wavelength band signal portion and a second optical wavelength band signal portion comprises:

amplifying, via an erbium doped fiber amplifier, the optical signal that includes at least a C-band signal portion and an L-band signal portion.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein increasing the energy of the first optical amplifier used to increase the energy level of the second optical wavelength band signal portion using the reflected energy in the first optical wavelength band signal portion comprises:

increasing the energy of an erbium doped fiber amplifier used to increase the energy level of the L-band signal portion using the reflected energy in the C-band signal portion.