Optical Fiber Amplifier

Abstract

The present invention discloses an optical fiber amplifier, comprising: a heat conduction tube; a wound optical fiber, including at least one path of optical fiber, the optical fiber being wound around the outer wall of the heat conduction tube, the optical fiber including an input end and an output end, and an initial optical signal being input at the input end; a laser array, including at least one pump light source, uniformly surrounding the heat conduction tube, the pump light source emitting pump light to irradiate the wound optical fiber, the pump light being coupled into the optical fiber from the side of the optical fiber, generating gain for the initial optical signal, so that the initial optical signal is amplified to obtain an amplified optical signal and output from the output end; wherein, the heat conduction tube is arranged to provide heat dissipation for the wound optical fiber. In the optical fiber amplifier disclosed by the present invention, different paths of optical fibers are wound around the heat conduction tube, the pump light sources are uniformly surrounded around the heat conduction tube, and the generated lateral pump light is coupled into the optical fiber, generating gain for the initial optical signal, and the amplification of multiple paths of optical fibers can be realized without using a multiplexer / demultiplexer device, which is flexible and convenient.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of optical fibers, and particularly relates to an optical fiber amplifier. Background Art

[0002] With the development of information technology, optical fiber amplifiers have increasingly important application values in the fields of optical communication and microwave photonics. An optical fiber amplifier is a device that amplifies and outputs an input optical signal, and is mainly divided into an optical fiber amplifier and a semiconductor optical amplifier. Since there is no need to perform mode spot conversion, the optical fiber amplifier is more suitable for use in an optical fiber communication system compared with the semiconductor optical amplifier. The traditional optical fiber amplifier adopts the form of end pumping, and generally can only support single-channel optical fiber input and single-channel optical fiber output.

[0003] In order to achieve the amplification effect of multiple optical signals, there are usually two methods. The first is to use an optical fiber amplifier and a multiplexer / demultiplexer device together, so that multiple optical fiber signals are amplified uniformly. However, the introduction of the multiplexer / demultiplexer device will bring insertion loss to the optical fiber communication system, generate signal crosstalk, weaken the amplification ability of the optical fiber amplifier, restrict the improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio, and at the same time, this configuration method makes the optical signals be amplified uniformly and cannot meet the specific requirements of different optical signals. The other is to stack multiple optical fiber amplifiers to also achieve the amplification effect of multiple optical fibers, but this method is overall complex in production, high in cost, involves the use of multiple optical fiber amplifiers and a huge control system, and cannot meet the requirements of miniaturization and integration of current optoelectronic devices. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above problems, the present invention provides an optical fiber amplifier that can ensure the amplification effect of the optical fiber amplifier without generating loss.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an optical fiber amplifier, comprising:

[0006] A heat pipe;

[0007] A winding optical fiber, including at least one optical fiber, the optical fiber is wound around the outer wall of the heat pipe, the optical fiber includes an input end and an output end, and an initial optical signal is input at the input end;

[0008] A laser array, including at least one pump light source, uniformly surrounding the heat pipe, the pump light source emits pump light to irradiate the winding optical fiber, the pump light is coupled into the optical fiber from the side of the optical fiber, generates gain for the initial optical signal, so that the initial optical signal is amplified to obtain an amplified optical signal and is output from the output end;

[0009] Wherein, the heat pipe is configured to provide heat dissipation for the winding optical fiber.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pump light emitted by the pump light source includes pump light with a wavelength of 980 nm.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the laser array includes a plurality of pump light sources distributed in at least one plane.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the optical fiber includes a rare earth element doped optical fiber.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the number of winding layers of the optical fiber on the outer wall of the heat conducting tube is at least one layer.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the winding optical fiber includes multiple optical fibers, the amplification factor of the initial optical signal for different optical fibers is adjusted by adjusting the winding turns or the pump light receiving area of different optical fibers.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the outer wall of the heat conducting tube is surface-treated to improve the pump efficiency.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the surface treatment includes:

[0017] Evaporating a film on the outer surface of the heat conducting tube to adjust the reflectivity of the heat conducting tube to the pump light, so that the optical fiber can fully absorb the coupled pump light.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the surface treatment further includes:

[0019] Roughening the outer surface of the heat conducting tube to adjust the diffuse reflection of the heat conducting tube to the pump light, so that the optical fiber can fully absorb the coupled pump light.

[0020] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the heat conducting tube includes an outer wall and an internal space, and the internal space is used to introduce a liquid to dissipate heat from the optical fiber wound on the outer wall; the heat conducting tube is columnar, and the shape of its cross section includes: circular, polygonal.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present invention, different optical fibers are wound around the heat conducting tube, and the pump light sources are evenly surrounded around the heat conducting light, generating lateral pump light coupled into the optical fiber, generating gain to the initial optical signal, and increasing the power of the optical signal. Description of the Drawings

[0022] Figure 1 Schematically shows a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an optical fiber amplifier according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 Schematically shows a top view of an optical fiber amplifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024]

Reference Signs

[0025] 1 - Heat conducting tube; 2 - Winding optical fiber; 21 - Input end; 22 - Output end; 3 - Laser array. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0026] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the following further elaborates on the present invention in detail with reference to specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

[0027] The present invention provides an optical fiber amplifier, comprising:

[0028] A heat conduction tube;

[0029] A wound optical fiber, including at least one path of optical fiber, which is wound around the outer wall of the heat conduction tube. The optical fiber includes an input end and an output end, and an initial optical signal is input at the input end.

[0030] A laser array, including at least one pump light source, uniformly surrounding the heat conduction tube. The pump light source emits pump light to irradiate the wound optical fiber. The pump light is coupled into the optical fiber from the side of the optical fiber, generating gain for the initial optical signal, so that the initial optical signal is amplified to obtain an amplified optical signal and output from the output end.

[0031] Wherein, the heat conduction tube is configured to provide heat dissipation for the wound optical fiber.

[0032] According to an embodiment of the present invention, different paths of optical fibers are wound around the heat conduction tube, and the pump light sources are uniformly surrounded by the heat conduction light, generating lateral pump light to be coupled into the optical fiber, generating gain for the initial optical signal, and increasing the power of the optical signal. In this way, the optical fiber amplifier according to the embodiment of the present invention can achieve the amplification of multiple paths of optical fibers without using a multiplexer / demultiplexer device, and the working wavelength is not limited by the multiplexer / demultiplexer device, which is flexible and convenient.

[0033] Figure 1 Schematically shows a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an optical fiber amplifier according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 Schematically shows a top view of an optical fiber amplifier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the optical fiber amplifier includes: a heat conduction tube 1; a wound optical fiber 2, the wound optical fiber 2 includes at least one path of optical fiber, the optical fiber is wound around the outer wall of the heat conduction tube, and each path of optical fiber includes an input end 21 and an output end 22; a laser array 3, the laser array 3 includes at least one pump light source, and the pump light sources are uniformly surrounded by the heat conduction tube 1.

[0035] According to an embodiment of the present invention, an initial optical signal is input from the input end 21, the pump light source emits pump light to irradiate the wound optical fiber 2, the pump light is coupled into the optical fiber from the side of the optical fiber, generating gain for the initial optical signal, so that the initial optical signal is amplified to obtain an amplified optical signal and output from the output end 22. During the optical signal amplification process, the wound optical fiber 2 generates heat, and the heat conduction tube 1 is configured to provide heat dissipation for the wound optical fiber.

[0036] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pump light sources are evenly surrounded around the heat-conducting tube, so that a larger pump light optical field is evenly distributed on the optical fiber, ensuring the synchronous amplification of multiple optical fibers.

[0037] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the optical fiber includes a rare-earth element-doped optical fiber, such as erbium, thulium, and ytterbium.

[0038] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pump light emitted by the pump light source includes pump light with a wavelength of 980 nm.

[0039] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the operating wavelength of the optical fiber amplifier is in the 1.5 μm band.

[0040] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the rare-earth element provides a laser gain medium for the optical fiber. For example, in an erbium-doped optical fiber, erbium ions are in the ground state, absorb pump light with a wavelength of 980 nm and transition to the excited state. The erbium ions in the excited state are unstable and non-radiatively transition to the metastable state. When an optical signal with a wavelength of 1.5 μm is transmitted in the optical fiber, the erbium ions in the metastable state transition to the ground state in the form of stimulated emission and generate photons identical to those in the optical signal, increasing the number of photons in the optical signal and realizing the power amplification of the optical signal in the erbium-doped optical fiber.

[0041] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the number of winding layers of the optical fiber on the outer wall of the heat-conducting tube is at least one layer, and the optical fiber is wound around the heat-conducting tube in the form of a bare fiber.

[0042] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the winding optical fiber includes multiple optical fibers, the amplification factor of different optical fibers for the initial optical signal is adjusted by adjusting the number of winding turns or the pump light receiving area of different optical fibers.

[0043] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when multiple optical fibers are wound around the heat-conducting tube simultaneously, different optical fibers can adjust the amplification factor of different optical fibers for the initial optical signal by adjusting the number of winding turns or the pump light receiving area of the optical fiber, and amplify the optical signals in different optical fibers by different multiples, meeting the specific requirements of different optical signals.

[0044] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pump light is coupled into the optical fiber by means of lateral spatial light. Therefore, by adjusting the irradiation of the pump light on the optical fiber, the amplification effect of the optical fiber amplifier on the optical signal can be adjusted.

[0045] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the laser array includes multiple pump light sources distributed in at least one plane.

[0046] According to an embodiment of the present invention, different winding methods of the winding optical fiber on the heat-conducting tube correspond to different surrounding methods of the laser array.

[0047] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when a single optical fiber winds around the outer wall of the heat conduction tube for one turn, the covered area of the winding optical fiber on the outer wall of the heat conduction tube is relatively large. Therefore, it is necessary to expand the pump light field and increase the number of pump light sources, and distribute them in multiple planes to expand the light field range. Correspondingly, when a single optical fiber winds around the outer wall of the heat conduction tube for multiple turns, the covered area of the winding optical fiber on the outer wall of the heat conduction tube is relatively small, and the number of planes where the pump light sources are distributed can be reduced.

[0048] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the outer wall of the heat conduction tube is surface-treated to improve the pumping efficiency.

[0049] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the surface treatment includes:

[0050] Evaporating a film on the outer surface of the heat conduction tube to adjust the reflectivity of the heat conduction tube to the pump light, so that the optical fiber can fully absorb the coupled pump light.

[0051] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the surface treatment further includes:

[0052] Roughening the outer surface of the heat conduction tube to adjust the diffuse reflection of the heat conduction tube to the pump light, so that the optical fiber can fully absorb the coupled pump light.

[0053] According to an embodiment of the present invention, through surface treatment, the power of the pump light reflected by the heat conduction tube is controlled, thereby improving the pumping efficiency of the optical fiber. If the power of the pump light reflected by the heat conduction tube is small, that is, the heat conduction tube is an absorber, then more pump light is absorbed by the heat conduction tube, resulting in less absorption of the pump light by the optical fiber and a decrease in the pumping efficiency. If the power of the pump light reflected by the heat conduction tube is large, that is, the heat conduction tube is a reflector, then less pump light is absorbed by the heat conduction tube, resulting in more absorption of the pump light by the optical fiber and the pump light source, which is likely to cause damage to the pump light source. And if the pumping efficiency is high, the heat generated by the optical fiber increases, and there will also be a problem of poor heat dissipation.

[0054] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the heat conduction tube includes an outer wall and an internal space. The internal space is used to introduce a liquid to dissipate heat from the optical fiber wound on the outer wall. The heat conduction tube is columnar to provide support for the winding optical fiber, and the shape of its cross-section includes: circular, polygonal.

[0055] The optical fiber amplifier manufacturing process provided by the present invention is mature, can realize the amplification of optical signals in multiple optical fibers, and can flexibly control the amplification multiples of optical signals in different optical fibers, and has a simple structure.

[0056] The above specific embodiments have further elaborated the purpose, technical solution and beneficial effects of the present invention. It should be understood that the above are only specific embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An optical fiber amplifier for amplifying an optical signal transmitted through an optical fiber, comprising: A heat conduction tube; A wound optical fiber, including multiple optical fibers, the optical fibers being wound around the outer wall of the heat conduction tube, the optical fibers including an input end and an output end, an initial optical signal being input at the input end, wherein the amplification factor of the initial optical signal for different optical fibers is adjusted by adjusting the number of winding turns of different optical fibers or the area receiving pump light; A laser array, including multiple pump light sources distributed in at least one plane, uniformly surrounding the heat conduction tube, the pump light sources emitting pump light to irradiate the wound optical fiber, the pump light being coupled into the optical fiber in a lateral spatial light manner, generating gain for the initial optical signal, so that the initial optical signal is amplified to obtain an amplified optical signal and output from the output end; Wherein, the heat conduction tube is arranged to provide heat dissipation for the wound optical fiber.

2. The optical fiber amplifier according to claim 1, wherein, The pump light emitted by the pump light source includes pump light with a wavelength of 980 nm.

3. The optical fiber amplifier according to claim 1, wherein, The optical fiber includes a rare earth element-doped optical fiber.

4. The optical fiber amplifier according to claim 1, wherein, The number of winding layers of the optical fiber on the outer wall of the heat conduction tube is at least one layer.

5. The optical fiber amplifier according to claim 1, wherein, The outer wall of the heat conduction tube is subjected to a surface treatment to improve the pump efficiency.

6. The optical fiber amplifier according to claim 5, wherein, The surface treatment includes: Evaporating a film on the outer surface of the heat conduction tube to adjust the reflectivity of the heat conduction tube to pump light, so that the optical fiber can fully absorb the coupled pump light.

7. The optical fiber amplifier according to claim 5, wherein, The surface treatment further includes: Roughening the outer surface of the heat conduction tube to adjust the diffuse reflection of the heat conduction tube to pump light, so that the optical fiber can fully absorb the coupled pump light.

8. The optical fiber amplifier according to claim 1, wherein, The heat conduction tube includes an outer wall and an internal space, and the internal space is used for introducing a liquid to dissipate heat from the optical fiber wound on the outer wall; The heat conduction tube is columnar, and the shape of its cross section includes: circular, polygonal.

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