Optical regenerator ( born optical regenerator ) - a component of the optical communication system designed to regenerate the digital optical signal .
Description
In telecommunication networks, even when using optical amplifiers that restore the amplitude of the signal, the shape distortion and the deviation of the relative delay of the signals ( loss of synchronization ) accumulate. Therefore, usually requires periodic regeneration (from the English. Regeneration - recovery) to restore the original shape and synchronize signals. Full regeneration (3R regeneration) involves performing three recovery operations with respect to the signal: amplitude recovery (amplification), shape recovery, and synchronization recovery (see fig.).
In modern communication networks, these three operations are performed using opto-electro-optical (OEO) conversion. Such optical regenerators are called optical repeaters .
Optical repeaters detect optical signals, convert them to electrical signals, fully restore the signal in electrical form, and then retransmit as optical signals. Optical repeaters are relatively complex and expensive devices, since the optical repeater includes an optical receiver, an electric regenerator, and a transmitter.
To reduce the cost of OEO regenerators, a large number of optical repeaters are combined into a single photon integrated circuit , which also contains an optical multiplexer , a demultiplexer and electronic channel switches.
In the future long-distance networks, it is proposed to use fully optical regenerators that perform the operations of reconstructing signal parameters by non-linear-optical methods without conversion to an electrical signal. Several methods have been proposed for fully optical signal reconstruction based on phase self-modulation of signals in optical fibers or channel waveguides , on phase cross-modulation , on four-wave mixing, and on nonlinear saturation.
Sources
- Naniy O. Ye. Fundamentals of digital fiber-optic communication systems // Lightwave Russian Edition. 2003. №1. Pp. 48–52.
- Mell S. “Digital Optical Networks” provide a simpler, faster and more flexible service delivery // Lightwave Russian Edition. 2005. №3. Pp. 19–20.