Application of Raman-distributed amplification to WDM transmission systems using 1.55-/spl mu/m dispersion-shifted fiber

A numerical design method for wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) transmission systems employing distributed Raman amplification (DRA) is proposed. This method evaluates fiber nonlinear effects by considering the equivalent fiber loss with DRA. The method is used to evaluate the performance of WDM transmission systems in which DRA is employed in a 1.55-/spl mu/m dispersion-shifted fiber (DSF) transmission line. Transmission limit and the optimum fiber input powers for 1550-nm band (C-band) and 1580-nm band (L-band) transmission are investigated. Results show that bidirectional pumping is the best approach to extending transmission distance. Furthermore, the transport limits of optical transport networks that use DRA and optical add/drop multiplexers are analyzed.