Optical mixer stage for optical communications system - comprises reception and divider elements between optical fibre bundles for balanced distribution

摘要

The mixer stage is used to couple two bundles of optical fibres. A reception element (1) receives light from the incoming optical fibre bundle (4) and supplies a corresponding light signal to an output (10). This output (10) is coupled via an optical fibre (2) to a divider (3) from which the fibres of an outgoing optical fibre bundle (5) emerge. The reception element (1) may comprise an optical amplifier with a photodetector (11) having a reception surface facing the incoming optical fibre bundle and with a cross-section at least equal to that of the latter. The output of the photo detector (11) is coupled to the control input of an electronically-controlled light source coupled to the optical fibre (2).