Optical transmission system and related remote optically pumped amplifier (ROPA) and method

1. An apparatus comprising:

a remote optically pumped amplifier (ROPA) comprising:

a bypass filter configured to receive an optical signal and first pump power and to separate the optical signal and the first pump power;

an amplifier configured to receive the optical signal from the bypass filter and to amplify the optical signal; and

an optical combiner/multiplexer configured to receive the first pump power from the bypass filter, receive at least second and third pump powers, combine at least two of the first, second and third pump powers, and provide different pump powers or combinations of pump powers to different locations within the ROPA to feed the amplifier.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the bypass filter comprises a first optical multiplexer optically coupled to a first side of the amplifier, the first optical multiplexer configured to feed at least one of the pump powers to the amplifier in a first direction; and

the ROPA further comprises a second optical multiplexer optically coupled to a second side of the amplifier, the second optical multiplexer configured to feed at least one other of the pump powers to the amplifier in a second direction.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:

the optical combiner/multiplexer is configured to wavelength multiplex the pump powers by combining at least two of the pump powers; and

the optical combiner/multiplexer is configured to spatially multiplex the pump powers by providing different pump powers or combinations of pump powers to different ones of the optical multiplexers.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bypass filter comprises:

an optical demultiplexer configured to separate the optical signal and the first, pump power;

an optical multiplexer configured to combine the optical signal and at least one of the pump powers, the optical multiplexer optically coupled to the amplifier; and

an optical isolator configured to isolate the first pump power from the optical multiplexer.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical combiner/multiplexer comprises multiple pump combiners each configured to combine at least two of the pump powers.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the optical combiner/multiplexer is configured to provide at least one of the pump powers to one of the optical multiplexers without combination with any other pump powers.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ROPA comprises a forward ROPA configured to receive the optical signal and the first pump power over a common optical fiber.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ROPA comprises a backward ROPA configured to receive the optical signal over a first optical fiber, and to receive the first pump power over a second optical fiber.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the ROPA comprises a multi-stage ROPA;

one stage of the multi-stage ROPA comprises the bypass filter and the amplifier; and

at least one additional stage of the multi-stage ROPA comprises at least one additional bypass filter and at least one additional amplifier.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the amplifier comprises a fiber amplifier.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ROPA is configured to receive all of the pump powers over multiple optical fibers and does not include any pump sources.

12. A system comprising:

an optical communication link comprising a remote optically pumped amplifier (ROPA), the ROPA comprising:

a bypass filter configured to receive an optical signal and first pump power and to separate the optical signal and the first pump power;

an amplifier configured to receive the optical signal from the bypass filter and to amplify the optical signal; and

an optical combiner/multiplexer configured to receive the first pump power from the bypass filter, receive at least second and third pump powers, combine at least two of the first, second and third pump powers, and provide different pump powers or combinations of pump powers to different locations within the ROPA to feed the amplifier.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein:

the bypass filter comprises a first optical multiplexer optically coupled to a first side of the amplifier, the first optical multiplexer configured to feed at least one of the pump powers to the amplifier in a first direction; and

the ROPA further comprises a second optical multiplexer optically coupled to a second side of the amplifier, the second optical multiplexer configured to feed at least one other of the pump powers to the amplifier in a second direction.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein:

the optical combiner/multiplexer is configured to wavelength multiplex the pump powers by combining at least two of the pump powers; and

the optical combiner/multiplexer is configured to spatially multiplex the pump powers by providing different pump powers or combinations of pump powers to different ones of the optical multiplexers.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the bypass filter comprises:

an optical demultiplexer configured to separate the optical signal and the first pump power;

an optical multiplexer configured to combine the optical signal and at least one of the pump powers, the optical multiplexer optically coupled to the amplifier; and

an optical isolator configured to isolate the first pump power from the optical multiplexer.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein:

the ROPA comprises a backward ROPA; and

the optical communication link further comprises a forward ROPA and an optical fiber coupling the forward ROPA and the backward ROPA.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the optical communication link comprises one of a pair of optical communication links, another of the optical communication links comprising another forward ROPA and another backward ROPA.

18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the optical communication link comprises a multi-span link.

19. A method comprising:

receiving an optical signal and first pump power at a remote optically pumped amplifier (ROPA);

separating the optical signal and the first pump power using a bypass filter of the ROPA;

amplifying the optical signal, using an amplifier of the ROPA;

receiving the first pump power from the bypass filter and at least second and third pump powers at an optical combiner/multiplexer of the ROPA; and

combining at least two of the first, second and third pump powers and providing different pump powers or combinations of pump powers to different locations within the ROPA to feed the amplifier.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the first pump power represents a remnant of pump power used for Raman amplification of the optical signal.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein:

the bypass filter comprises a first optical multiplexer optically coupled to a first side of the amplifier, the first optical multiplexer configured to feed at least one of the pump powers to the amplifier in a first direction; and

the ROPA further comprises a second optical multiplexer optically coupled to a second side of the amplifier, the second optical multiplexer configured to feed at least one other of the pump powers to the amplifier in a second direction.

22. The method of claim 19 , wherein combining at least two of the first, second and third pump powers and providing different pump powers or combinations of pump powers to different locations within the ROPA comprise:

wavelength multiplexing the pump powers by combining at least two of the pump powers; and

spatially multiplexing the pump powers by providing different pump powers or combinations of pump powers to different ones of the optical multiplexers.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the ROPA comprises a ROPA in a multi-span optical communication link.