Performance analysis and control strategy for pixelated dynamic gain equalizers

Dynamic network reconfigurations change gain profiles of optical amplifiers employed for signal amplification. Fixed gain flattening filters cannot compensate for these changes. Dynamic gain equalizers (DGE) can substantially improve optic link performance and enable longer links without re-generation or higher transmission rates on the existing links. In a pixelated DGE, the input light is spectrally dispersed across a linear array of variable attenuators (pixels). Each pixel has an adjustable transmission or reflectivity, which can be adjusted independent of the settings of the other pixels, but which is approximately uniform across the width of the pixel. The dispersive optics are designed such that a monochromatic input beam has a width at the pixel plane which is greater than the pixel width.