Ultra-compact optical amplifier used in telecommunications comprises housing containing an optical pump, a light amplification and guiding unit, passive optical coupling elements, and light guides

摘要

The ultra-compact optical amplifier comprises a housing (15) containing an optical pump (3), a light amplification and guiding unit (4), first passive optical coupling elements (6, 7, 9, 10), a first guide for light to be amplified (8), second passive optical coupling elements (12-14), and a second light guide (11) for amplified light. The light amplification and guiding unit (4) receives and guides the energy from the optical pump (3) and the light to be amplified. The first passive optical coupling elements (6, 7, 9, 10) receive the light to be amplified from a first light guide (8) and pass it on to the light amplifier (4). The second passive optical coupling elements (12-14) collect the amplified light and deliver it to a second light guide (11). At least one of the optical pump (3), the light amplification and guiding unit (4), the first passive optical coupling elements (6, 7, 9, 10) and the second passive optical coupling elements (12-14) are implanted on a substrate (2). The light amplification and guiding unit (4) comprises a material selected from glass and its derivatives, and polymers. The material is doped with a rare earth ion or complex, or is doped with a metallic ion, especially chromium, or comprises doped nanoparticles. The light amplification and guiding unit (4) comprises an optical fiber installed in a rectilinear or U-shaped form, or in the form of a multi-wound loop. The first and second passive optical coupling elements (6, 7, 9, 10, 12-14) are selected from a group comprising at least micro-mirrors, micro-lenses, isolators, pumping signal wavelength multiplexers, static or variable equalizing filters, static or variable attenuators, or rejection filters. The housing (15) also includes an auxiliary regulation and/or monitoring and/or control element selected from coupling and/or filtering and/or channel multiplexing and/or demultiplexing elements. A gain equalizing filter is produced on at least one surface of the first and second passive optical elements (6, 7, 9, 10, 12-14)) and the auxiliary elements, and on at least one of the inlet and outlet faces of the light amplification and guiding unit (4). The device can consists of several optical pumps (3), several light amplification and guiding units (4), several first (6, 7, 9, 10) and second (12-14) passive optical elements and/or several auxiliary elements accommodated in the housing (15). An Independent claim is given for utilization of the device in telecommunications.