All-optical regenerator and optical network incorporating same
The present invention provides an optical networking device for re-amplifying, re-shaping, and re-timing an optical signal, as well as providing distortion compensation and performance monitoring of the optical signal. The optical networking device includes an all-optical regenerator device for one or more of re-amplifying, re-shaping, and re-timing the optical signal; a distortion compensator device for compensating for distortion associated with the optical signal; and a quality-of-signal monitoring device for measuring the quality of the optical signal. Preferably, the all-optical regenerator device, the distortion compensator device, and the quality-of-signal monitoring device are disposed within a single module. The quality-of-signal monitoring device measures the optical signal subsequent to distortion compensation. Alternatively, the quality-of-signal monitoring device measures the optical signal subsequent to distortion compensation and all-optical regeneration. In various embodiments, the quality-of-signal monitoring device provides feedback to the distortion compensator device, a distortion compensator device disposed along a line system, one or more of an optical amplifier and a distortion compensator device disposed along the line system, and a transmitter device disposed along the line system.
1. An optical networking device for re-amplifying, re-shaping, and re-timing an optical signal, as well as providing distortion compensation and performance monitoring of the optical signal, comprising:
an all-optical regenerator device for two or more of re-amplifying, re-shaping, and re-timing the optical signal;
a distortion compensator device for compensating for distortion associated with the optical signal; and
a quality-of-signal monitoring device for measuring the quality of the optical signal, wherein the quality of the optical signal is measured subsequent to demultiplexing and after the all-optical regenerator device and the distortion compensator device and before subsequent multiplexing and amplification of the optical signal, and wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device is operable for performing fault isolation on a per channel basis;
wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device provides feedback to the distortion compensator device subsequent to demultiplexing and then the feedback-modified optical signal is provided to the all-optical regenerator device; and
wherein the distortion compensator device compensates for one or more of chromatic dispersion, polarization mode dispersion, bandwidth limiting, and self-phase modulation associated with the optical signal.
2. The optical networking device of claim 1 , wherein the all-optical regenerator device, the distortion compensator device, and the quality-of-signal monitoring device are disposed within a single module.
3. The optical networking device of claim 1 , wherein the all-optical regenerator device comprises one or more of a cross-gain modulation device, a cross-phase modulation device, a four-wave-mixing device, and a self-phase modulation device.
4. The optical networking device of claim 1 , wherein the all-optical regenerator device comprises a semiconductor optical amplifier device comprising a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with a semiconductor optical amplifier in each arm, wherein degraded data signal and control signal inputs are received.
5. The optical networking device of claim 1 , wherein the all-optical regenerator device comprises one or more of a semiconductor optical amplifier, an electroabsorption modulator, a nonlinear optical loop mirror, a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, and a section of highly nonlinear optical fiber.
6. The optical networking device of claim 1 , wherein the distortion compensator device comprises a tunable dispersion compensator device.
7. The optical networking device of claim 1 , wherein the distortion compensator device comprises one or more of an optical lattice filter, an etalon filter, a polarization controller, and a modulator.
8. The optical networking device of claim 1 , wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device measures one or more of cumulative systematic signal distortion on each data bit and cumulative noise on each data bit.
9. The optical networking device of claim 1 , wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device comprises one or more of an optical sensor means for detecting an optical signal, an optical to electrical conversion means, and an electrical processing means for providing a control signal to the distortion compensator device.
10. The optical networking device of claim 1 , wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device provides feedback to a distortion compensator device disposed along a line system prior to demultiplexing.
11. The optical networking device of claim 1 , wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device provides feedback to one or more of an optical amplifier and a distortion compensator device disposed along a line system.
12. The optical networking device of claim 1 , wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device provides feedback to a transmitter device disposed along a line system.
13. An optical network, comprising:
a node for two or more of re-amplifying, re-shaping, and re-timing an optical signal, as well as providing distortion compensation and performance monitoring of the optical signal, comprising:
an all-optical regenerator device for two or more of re-amplifying, re-shaping, and re-timing the optical signal;
a distortion compensator device for compensating for distortion associated with the optical signal; and
a quality-of-signal monitoring device for measuring the quality of the optical signal, wherein the quality of the optical signal is measured subsequent to demultiplexing and after the all-optical regenerator device and the distortion compensator device and before subsequent multiplexing and amplification of the optical signal, and wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device is operable for performing fault isolation on a per channel basis;
wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device provides feedback to the distortion compensator device subsequent to demultiplexing and then the feedback-modified optical signal is provided to the all-optical regenerator device; and
wherein the distortion compensator device comprises a tunable dispersion compensator device.
14. The optical network of claim 13 , wherein the all-optical regenerator device comprises one or more of a cross-gain modulation device, a cross-phase modulation device, a four-wave-mixing device, and a self-phase modulation device.
15. The optical network of claim 13 , wherein the all-optical regenerator device comprises a semiconductor optical amplifier device comprising a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with a semiconductor optical amplifier in each arm, wherein degraded data signal and control signal inputs are received.
16. The optical network of claim 13 , wherein the all-optical regenerator device comprises one or more of a semiconductor optical amplifier, an electroabsorption modulator, a nonlinear optical loop mirror, a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, and a section of highly nonlinear optical fiber.
17. The optical network of claim 13 , wherein the distortion compensator device compensates for one or more of chromatic dispersion, polarization mode dispersion, bandwidth limiting, and self-phase modulation associated with the optical signal.
18. The optical network of claim 13 , wherein the distortion compensator device comprises one or more of an optical lattice filter, an etalon filter, a polarization controller, and a modulator.
19. The optical network of claim 13 , wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device measures one or more of cumulative systematic signal distortion on each data bit and cumulative noise on each data bit.
20. The optical network of claim 13 , wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device comprises one or more of an optical sensor means for detecting an optical signal, an optical to electrical conversion means, and an electrical processing means for providing a control signal to the distortion compensator device.
21. The optical network of claim 13 , wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device provides feedback to a distortion compensator device disposed along a line system of the optical network prior to demultiplexing.
22. The optical network of claim 13 , wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device provides feedback to one or more of an optical amplifier and a distortion compensator device disposed along a line system of the optical network.
23. The optical network of claim 13 , wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device provides feedback to a transmitter device disposed along a line system of the optical network.
24. An optical networking device for re-amplifying, re-shaping, and re-timing an optical signal, as well as providing distortion compensation and performance monitoring of the optical signal, comprising:
an all-optical regenerator device for two or more of re-amplifying, re-shaping, and re-timing the optical signal;
a distortion compensator device for compensating for distortion associated with the optical signal; and
a quality-of-signal monitoring device for measuring the quality of the optical signal, wherein the quality of the optical signal is measured subsequent to demultiplexing and after the all-optical regenerator device and the distortion compensator device and before subsequent multiplexing and amplification of the optical signal;
wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device provides feedback to the distortion compensator device subsequent to demultiplexing and then the feedback-modified optical signal is provided to the all-optical regenerator device; and
wherein the distortion compensator device comprises a tunable dispersion compensator device.
25. The optical networking device of claim 24 , wherein the quality-of-signal monitoring device is operable for performing fault isolation on a per channel basis.