Systems and methods for building, operating and controlling multiple regenerators and transceivers using shared common components

Abstract

A system comprising a recirculating loop configured to store an electromagnetic wave signal, the recirculating loop comprising a transmission medium and a plurality of transceivers configured to introduce the electromagnetic wave signal into the transmission medium and retrieve the electromagnetic wave signal from the transmission medium, and a signal conditioning system comprising a plurality of signal conditioners coupled to the transmission medium, the plurality of signal conditioners configured to amplify or regenerate the electromagnetic wave signal traveling in the transmission medium, one or more pump laser sources, wherein at least one of the one or more pump laser sources is configured to provide a pump laser beam to at least two of the plurality of signal conditioners, and one or more control circuits for controlling the plurality of signal conditioners, wherein at least one of the one or more control circuits is configured to control and monitor at least two of the plurality of signal conditioners, is disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a recirculating loop configured to store an electromagnetic wave signal, the recirculating loop comprising a transmission medium;   a plurality of signal conditioners coupled to the transmission medium, the plurality of signal conditioners configured to amplify or regenerate an electromagnetic wave signal traveling in the transmission medium; and   one or more pump laser sources, wherein at least one of the one or more pump laser sources is configured to provide a pump laser beam to at least two of the plurality of signal conditioners.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the transmission medium comprises at least one of a waveguide, an optical fiber, or free space. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of signal conditioners comprise amplifiers, regenerators, or a combination of amplifiers and regenerators. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein:
 each of the amplifiers comprises a fiber amplifier doped with a gain medium; and   the gain medium comprises at least one of a fluorescent element, a rare-earth element, or erbium.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a coupler configured to combine the pump laser beam with the electromagnetic wave signal and send the combined beam/signal to a corresponding one of the plurality of signal conditioners. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 one or more control circuits for controlling the plurality of signal conditioners, wherein at least one of the one or more control circuits is configured to control at least two of the plurality of signal conditioners;   wherein the at least one of the one or more control circuits comprises:
 a photodetector configured to measure input and output optical powers of each of the at least two of the plurality of signal conditioners; and 
 a processor configured to compare the measured input and output optical powers and adjust an input pump laser power for the each of the at least two of the plurality of signal conditioners. 
   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , further comprising a variable attenuator coupled to the at least one of the one or more pump laser sources and to the at least one of the one or more control circuits, wherein the variable attenuator is configured to control the pump laser beam to be sent to a corresponding one of the plurality of signal conditioners based on the adjusted input pump laser power determined by the processor in the at least one of the one or more control circuits. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the regenerators are configured to re-amplify, re-shape, or re-time the electromagnetic wave signal traveling in the transmission medium. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising one or more clock sources, wherein at least one of the one or more clock sources is configured to provide a clock signal to at least two of the regenerators for re-timing the electromagnetic wave signal. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the regenerators comprise crystals or optical fibers; and   the crystals or the optical fibers are doped with at least one of a fluorescent element, a rare-earth element, or erbium.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the regenerators comprise at least one of all-optical regenerators; at least one amplifier and at least one absorber; at least one amplifier configured to operate in a saturation regime; or at least one nonlinear filter. 
     
     
         12 . A method for storing an electromagnetic wave signal in a transmission medium, the method comprising:
 amplifying or regenerating, using a plurality of signal conditioners coupled to the transmission medium, an electromagnetic signal traveling in the transmission medium; and   providing, from one or more pump laser sources, pump laser beams to the plurality of signal conditioners, wherein at least one of the one or more pump laser sources provides a pump laser beam to at least two of the plurality of signal conditioners.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the transmission medium comprises at least one of a waveguide, an optical fiber, or free space. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of signal conditioners comprises amplifiers, regenerators, or a combination of amplifiers and regenerators. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein:
 each of the amplifiers comprises a fiber amplifier doped with a gain medium; and   the gain medium comprises at least one of a fluorescent element, a rare-earth element, or erbium.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising combining, using a coupler, the pump laser beam with the electromagnetic wave signal and sending, using the coupler, the combined beam/signal to a corresponding one of the plurality of signal conditioners. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 controlling, using one or more control circuits, the plurality of signal conditioners, wherein at least one of the one or more control circuits controls at least two of the plurality of signal conditioners;   wherein:   the at least one of the one or more control circuits comprises a photodetector and a processor; and   the controlling step comprises:
 measuring, using the photodetector, input and output optical powers of each of the at least two of the plurality of signal conditioners; and 
 comparing, using the processor, the measured input and output optical powers to adjust an input pump laser power for the each of the at least two of the plurality of signal conditioners. 
   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising controlling, using a variable attenuator coupled to the at least one of the one or more pump laser sources and to the at least one of the one or more control circuits, the pump laser beam to be sent to a corresponding one of the plurality of signal conditioners based on the adjusted input pump laser power determined by the comparing step. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the regenerating step comprises re-amplifying, re-shaping, or re-timing, using the regenerators, the electromagnetic wave signal traveling in the transmission medium. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the re-timing step comprises providing, using one or more clock sources, clock signals to the regenerators, wherein at least one of the one or more clock sources provides a clock signal to at least two of the regenerators. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the regenerating step is performed all optically in an optical domain. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of one or more multiplexers, wherein at least one of the one or more multiplexers is communicably coupled to at least two of the plurality of signal conditioners, or one or more demultiplexers, wherein at least one of the one or more demultiplexers is communicably coupled to at least two of the plurality of signal conditioners. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the amplifying or regenerating step comprises at least one of using one or more multiplexers, wherein at least one of the one or more multiplexers is communicably coupled to at least two of the plurality of signal conditioners, or using one or more demultiplexers, wherein at least one of the one or more demultiplexers is communicably coupled to at least two of the plurality of signal conditioners.