Controlling of the bidirectional amplifier chain for optical frequency distribution based on a two-dimensional noise detector

Abstract

In the paper we present a solution for controlling the chain of bidirectional optical amplifiers, intended for long-haul fiber links used to distribute signals produced by optical atomic clocks. The solution is based on a dedicated two-channel noise detector, which allows independent measurement of the noise contributions related to interferometric signal fading and additive wideband noise. New signal quality metrics, based on two-dimensional noise detector, allows to distribute properly the needed gain among the chained amplifiers. Experimental results performed both in laboratory conditions and on a real 600 km-long link, confirming proper operation of proposed solutions, are presented.