Optical signal regeneration and amplification of M-PSK and M-QAM modulation formats using reconfigurable wavelength selective processors and phase-sensitive amplifiers

1. A method for regenerating and amplifying optical signals, comprising:

determining a source optical signal to be regenerated and amplified, the source optical signal modulated using a multilevel modulation format;

adding a first pump optical signal and a second pump optical signal to the source optical signal to yield an intermediate optical signal;

determining a level of multilevel modulation used to modulate the source optical signal; and

based on the determined level, selecting a first pair of conjugate optical signals from a plurality of pairs of conjugate optical signals, wherein:

the first pair comprises a first conjugate optical signal and a second conjugate optical signal, each conjugate optical signal having a phase that is a conjugate of a multiple of the phase of a source optical signal;

within a given pair of conjugate optical signals, the phase of each conjugate optical signal is equal to the same negative multiple of the phase of the input optical signal; and

the negative multiple of the phase of the source optical signal for each pair is unique with respect to the other pairs;

creating the first conjugate optical signal and the second conjugate optical signal from the intermediate optical signal; and

performing degenerate phase-sensitive amplification utilizing the first conjugate optical signal, the second conjugate optical signal and the source optical signal to yield an output optical signal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the difference between a wavelength of the first pump optical signal and a wavelength of the source optical signal comprises a first wavelength distance;

the difference between a wavelength of the second pump optical signal and a wavelength of the source optical signal comprises a second wavelength distance; and

the first wavelength distance and the second wavelength distance are approximately equal.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phase of the first conjugate optical signal and the phase of the second conjugate optical signal are each equal to a negative multiple of the phase of the source optical signal.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the difference between a wavelength of the first conjugate optical signal and a wavelength of the source optical signal comprises a first wavelength distance;

the difference between a wavelength of the second conjugate optical signal and a wavelength of the source optical signal comprises a second wavelength distance; and

the first wavelength distance and the second wavelength distance are approximately equal.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that quadrature-phase-shift-keying modulation is used to modulate the source optical signal; and

based on the determination of modulation, selecting the first conjugate optical signal and the second conjugate optical signal that each have a phase equal to the negative phase of the source optical signal.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that eight-phase-shift-keying modulation is used to modulate the source optical signal; and

based on the determination of modulation, selecting the first conjugate optical signal and the second conjugate optical signal that each have a phase equal to three times the negative phase of the source optical signal.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that sixteen-phase-shift-keying modulation is used to modulate the source optical signal; and

based on the determination of modulation, selecting the first conjugate optical signal and the second conjugate optical signal that each have a phase equal to seven times the negative phase of the source optical signal.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that eight-quadrature-amplitude modulation is used to modulate the source optical signal; and

based on the determination of modulation, selecting the first conjugate optical signal and the second conjugate optical signal that each have a phase equal to three times the negative phase of the source optical signal.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that sixteen-quadrature-amplitude modulation is used to modulate the source optical signal; and

based on the determination of modulation, selecting the first conjugate optical signal and the second conjugate optical signal that each have a phase equal to seven times the negative phase of the source optical signal.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein creating a first conjugate signal and a second conjugate signal from the intermediate optical signal comprises:

selecting the combination of the source optical signal and the first pump optical signal as a first partial signal;

selecting the combination of the source optical signal and the second pump optical signal as a second partial signal;

sending the first partial signal through a non-linear optical element in a first direction; and

sending the second partial signal through the non-linear optical element in a second direction, the second direction the opposite of the first direction.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing degenerate phase-sensitive amplification comprises performing four-wave mixing utilizing first conjugate signal, the second conjugate signal, and the source optical signal.

12. A method for regenerating and amplifying optical signals, comprising:

determining a source optical signal to be regenerated and amplified, the source optical signal modulated using a multilevel modulation format, wherein the multilevel modulation comprises dual-polarized multilevel modulation;

adding a first pump optical signal and a second pump optical signal to the source optical signal to yield an intermediate optical signal;

creating the first conjugate optical signal and the second conjugate optical signal from the intermediate optical signal, each conjugate optical signal having a phase that is a conjugate of a multiple of the phase of a source optical signal, further comprising;

creating a first conjugate optical signal and a second conjugate optical signal from the intermediate optical signal comprises:

selecting the combination of the source optical signal and the first pump optical signal as a first partial signal;

selecting the combination of the source optical signal and the second pump optical signal as a second partial signal;

splitting the first partial signal into a first x-polarization optical signal and a first y-polarization optical signal;

splitting the second partial signal into a second x-polarization optical signal and a second y-polarization signal;

sending the first x-polarization optical signal and the second x-polarization optical signal through a first non-linear optical element in opposite directions; and

sending the first y-polarization optical signal and the second y-polarization optical signal through a second non-linear optical element in opposite directions; and

performing degenerate phase-sensitive amplification utilizing the first conjugate optical signal, the second conjugate optical signal and the source optical signal to yield an output optical signal.

13. A system for regenerating optical signals, comprising:

an input configured to accept a source optical signal modulated using a multilevel modulation format;

a dual-pump source configured to generate a first pump optical signal and a second pump optical signal;

a coupler communicatively coupled to the input and the dual-pump source configured to add the first pump optical signal and the second pump optical signal to the source optical signal to yield an intermediate optical signal;

a wavelength selective processor coupled to a computer-readable medium and configured to accept the intermediate optical signal;

a first non-linear optical element communicatively coupled at two ends to the wavelength selective processor; and

a second non-linear element communicatively coupled to the wavelength selective processor;

wherein:

the wavelength selective processor is configured to send a plurality of portions of the intermediate optical signal through the first non-linear optical element in opposite directions;

the first non-linear optical element is configured to create a first conjugate optical signal and a second conjugate optical signal from the portions of the intermediate optical signal, each conjugate optical signal having a phase that is a conjugate of a multiple of the phase of the source optical signal;

the second non-linear optical element is configured to perform degenerate phase-sensitive amplification utilizing the first conjugate optical signal, the second conjugate optical signal, and the source optical signal to yield an output optical signal; and

the wavelength selective processor includes a wavelength selective switch.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein:

the difference between a wavelength of the first pump optical signal and a wavelength of the source optical signal comprises a first wavelength distance;

the difference between a wavelength of the second pump optical signal and a wavelength of the source optical signal comprises a second wavelength distance; and

the first wavelength distance and the second wavelength distance are approximately equal.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the phase of the first conjugate optical signal and the phase of the second conjugate optical signal are each equal to a negative multiple of the phase of the input optical signal.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein:

the difference a wavelength of between the first conjugate optical signal and the source optical signal comprises a first wavelength distance;

the difference between a wavelengths of the second conjugate optical signal and a wavelength of the source optical signal comprises a second wavelength distance; and

the first wavelength distance and the second wavelength distance are approximately equal.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the wavelength selective processor is further configured to:

determine a level of multilevel modulation used to modulate the source optical signal; and

based on the determined level, select a first pair of conjugate optical signals from a plurality of pairs of conjugate optical signals received from the first non-linear optical element, wherein:

the first pair comprises the first conjugate optical signal and the second conjugate optical signal;

within a given pair of conjugate optical signals, the phase of each conjugate optical signal is equal to the same negative multiple of the phase of the input optical signal; and

the negative multiple of the phase of the input optical signal for each pair is unique with respect to the other pairs.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the wavelength selective processor is further configured to:

determine that quadrature-phase-shift-keying modulation is used to modulate the source optical signal; and

based on the determination of modulation, select the first conjugate optical signal and the second conjugate optical signal that each have a phase equal to the negative phase of the input optical signal.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the wavelength selective processor is further configured to:

determine that eight-phase-shift-keying modulation is used to modulate the source optical signal; and

based on the determination of modulation, select the first conjugate optical signal and the second conjugate optical signal that each have a phase equal to three times the negative phase of the input optical signal.

20. The system of claim 13 , wherein the wavelength selective processor is further configured to:

determine that sixteen-phase-shift-keying modulation is used to modulate the source optical signal; and

based on the determination of modulation, select the first conjugate optical signal and the second conjugate optical signal that each have a phase equal to seven times the negative phase of the input optical signal.

21. The system of claim 13 , wherein the wavelength selective processor is further configured to:

determine that eight-quadrature-amplitude modulation is used to modulate the source optical signal; and

based on the determination of modulation, select the first conjugate optical signal and the second conjugate optical signal that each have a phase equal to three times the negative phase of the input optical signal.

22. The system of claim 13 , wherein the wavelength selective processor is further configured to:

determine that sixteen-quadrature-amplitude modulation is used to modulate the source optical signal; and

based on the determination of modulation, select the first conjugate optical signal and the second conjugate optical signal that each have a phase equal to seven times the negative phase of the input optical signal.

23. The system of claim 13 , wherein the second non-linear optical element is configured to perform degenerate phase-sensitive amplification by performing four-wave mixing utilizing the first conjugate signal, the second conjugate signal, and the source optical signal.

24. The system of claim 13 , further comprising:

a third optical non-linear element;

a first beam splitter communicatively coupled between the wavelength selective processor and a first end of the first optical non-linear element and communicatively coupled between the wavelength processor switch and a first end of the third optical non-linear element; and

a second beam splitter communicatively coupled between the wavelength selective processor and a second end of the first optical non-linear element and communicatively coupled between the wavelength selective processor and a second end of the third optical non-linear element;

wherein:

the multilevel modulation comprises dual-polarized multilevel modulation;

the wavelength selective processor is further configured to:

select the combination of the source optical signal and the first pump optical signal as a first partial signal;

send the first partial signal to the first beam splitter;

select the combination of the source optical signal and the second pump optical signal as a second partial signal;

send the second partial signal to the second beam splitter;

the first beam splitter is configured to split the first partial signal into a first x-polarization optical signal and a first y-polarization optical signal;

the second beam splitter is configured to split the second partial signal into a second x-polarization optical signal and a second y-polarization signal;

the first beam splitter and second beam splitter are configured to send the first x-polarization optical signal and the second x-polarization optical signal through the first non-linear optical element in opposite directions; and

the first beam splitter and second beam splitter are configured to send the first y-polarization optical signal and the second y-polarization optical signal through the third non-linear optical element in opposite directions.