For measuring high frequency ultrasonic fields which are often spatially distributed and transient, an array probe with small element sensors is highly required. In this paper, we propose a fiber-optic micro-probe array which is based on wavelength-division-multiplexing technique. The element sensor consists of a micro optical cavity of 100 µm long made at the end of optical fiber. Optical path length of the cavity is changed by the applied acoustic field, and the modulation of output light intensity is monitored at another end of the fiber for the information of the acoustic field. Array of sensor elements and a light source as well as a photo detector are connected together by an optical star coupler. The Fabry-Perot resonance wavelength of each sensor element is designed different one another, and the outputs from the sensors are discriminated by sweeping the wavelength of light source with the use of a tunable semiconductor laser. In this paper, the performance of the micro-probe array is discussed experimentally.

To expand signal wavelength bandwidth in long-haul, large-capacity WDM transmission systems, we investigated gain-equalizers (GEQs) for Erbium doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs). We applied GEQs using Mach-Zehnder type filters with two different free-spectral-ranges (FSRs) to accurately compensate for the EDFAs gain-wavelength characteristics. The 1st GEQ with a longer FSR was the main GEQ to compensate for the overall gain-wavelength characteristics, and the 2nd GEQ with a shorter FSR was the secondary GEQ to compensate for the resultant gain undulation after the 1st GEQ. The 2nd GEQ had low maximum loss and long period of equalization-spacing compared to the 1st GEQ. We designed that the FSR for the 1st GEQ was twice the signal wavelength bandwidth, and the FSR for the 2nd GEQ was two thirds of the signal wavelength bandwidth. To compensate for the asymmetry in the EDFAs gain-wavelength characteristics, we designed that the 2nd GEQ minimum-loss wavelength was shorter than the 1st GEQ maximum-loss wavelength. Using a circulating loop with a 21-EDFA chain, we confirmed the signal wavelength bandwidth expanded by the above GEQs. We also investigated the trade-off relationship between the signal wavelength bandwidth and the optical signal-to-noise ratio, as the parameter of the number of the 1st GEQ inserted in the EDFAs chain. The achieved signal wavelength bandwidth after 10,000-km transmission was 12 nm. We successfully transmitted 170 Gbit/s (325. 332 Gbit/s) WDM signals over 9,879 km employing high alumina codoped EDFAs and Mach-Zehnder type filters with long FSRs.