Amplified distributed reflective optical star couplers

A practical configuration for an amplified distributed reflective N-star coupler using 2*2 3-dB fiber couplers and minimum numbers of erbium-doped fibers, pump lasers, and standard fibers is presented. The constitution and characteristics of this coupler are investigated. Besides a tremendous amount of saving of the required standard fibers, this distributed coupler is more efficient, more reliable, more flexible for future expansion, and more cost-effective for application in optical networks.<
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