1. A system comprising: a coherent optical receiver configured to determine a frequency offset between a first frequency of a first optical carrier wave and a second frequency of a second optical carrier wave, wherein the first optical carrier wave is modulated with first information to form a first optical signal and the coherent optical receiver is configured to demodulate the first information associated with the first optical signal;
a tunable optical transmitter comprising a tunable laser configured to generate the second optical carrier wave at the second frequency and coupled to the coherent optical receiver such that the coherent optical receiver receives the second optical carrier wave from the tunable laser;
a control unit coupled to the coherent optical receiver and the tunable optical transmitter and configured to receive the frequency offset from the coherent optical receiver and adjust the second frequency of the tunable laser according to the frequency offset; and
a signal combiner circuit coupled to the tunable optical transmitter and configured to combine the first optical signal with a second optical signal generated by the tunable optical transmitter by modulating second information on the second optical carrier wave.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to compare a target offset with the frequency offset received from the coherent optical receiver and adjust the second frequency such that the determined frequency offset is substantially equal to the target offset.
3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a frequency translator coupled between the coherent optical receiver and the tunable laser, the frequency translator configured to shift the second frequency of the second optical carrier wave before the second optical carrier wave is received by the coherent optical receiver from the tunable laser.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein the control unit is further configured to adjust the second frequency such that the determined frequency offset combined with the shift in the second frequency is substantially equal to the target offset.
5. The system of claim 3, further comprising:
a plurality of tunable optical transmitter s each comprising a tunable laser configured to generate an optical carrier wave; and
an optical switch coupled between the plurality of tunable lasers and the coherent optical receiver, the optical switch configured to select one of the plurality of tunable lasers to provide the second optical carrier wave to the coherent optical receiver.
6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a frequency comb generator coupled between the coherent optical receiver and the tunable laser, the frequency comb generator configured to receive the second optical carrier wave from the tunable laser and create a number of distinct frequencies from the second optical carrier wave before the second optical carrier wave is received by the coherent optical receiver.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal combiner circuit includes a wavelength selective switch (WSS).
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first optical signal has a first phase and the second optical signal has a second phase, the system further comprising a signal controller coupled between the tunable optical transmitter and the signal combiner circuit and configured to adjust the second phase according to the first phase.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first optical signal has a first polarization and the second optical signal has a second polarization, the system further comprising a signal controller coupled between the tunable optical transmitter and the signal combiner circuit and configured to adjust the second polarization according to the first polarization.
10. A method for spectrally spacing carrier waves comprising: receiving a first optical signal comprising a first optical carrier wave modulated with first information;
demodulating the first information associated with the first optical signal;
determining a frequency offset between a first frequency of the first optical carrier wave and a second frequency of a second optical carrier wave;
adjusting the second frequency according to the frequency offset; and
combining the first optical signal and a second optical signal into a multi-frequency signal, the second optical signal comprising the second optical carrier wave modulated with second information.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:
comparing a target frequency offset with the frequency offset; and
adjusting the second frequency such that the determined frequency offset is substantially equal to the target frequency offset.
12. The method of claim 10, further comprising shifting the second frequency before determining the frequency offset.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising adjusting the second frequency such that the determined frequency offset combined with the shift in the second frequency is substantially equal to the target offset.
14. The method of claim 10, further comprising optically selecting one out of a multitude of tunable lasers to source the second optical carrier wave.
15. The method of claim 10, further comprising adjusting a second polarization of the second optical carrier wave according to a first polarization of the first optical carrier wave.
16. The method of claim 10, further comprising adjusting a second phase of the second optical carrier wave according to a first phase of the first optical carrier wave.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. In a hair relaxer comprising an aqueous composition of active human hair straightening ingredients and excipients having a pH value of about 12 to about 14, the improvement that comprises a naturally grey or white human hair discoloration-inhibiting amount of an alpha-hydroxy-C1-C6 sulfinate of Formula I dissolved or dispersed in said relaxer in
addition to said active straightening ingredients and excipients, wherein
R1 and R2 are the same or different and are hydrogen (hydrido) or hydrocarbyl, or
one of R1 and R2 is carboxy or carboxy-substituted hydrocarbyl and the other is hydrido or hydrocarbyl that together (R1+R2) contain a total of five carbon atoms, or
R1 and R2 together with the depicted carbon atom form a ring structure that can contain up to six carbon atoms, and
M is a proton or a cosmetically acceptable cation such as an ammonium ion, a monovalent metal ion or an equivalent of a divalent metal ion of the Groups Ia, IIa, IIb, IVa or VIIIb of the Periodic Table of the Elements.
2. The improved hair relaxer according to claim 1, wherein said alpha-hydroxy-C1-C6 sulfinate has the structure of Formula III
HO\u2014CH2\u2014SO2M. \u2003\u2003III
3. The improved hair relaxer according to claim 1, wherein said alpha-hydroxy-C1-C6 sulfinate is an alpha-hydroxy-C1-C6-carboxy sulfinate of Formula II
4. The improved hair relaxer according to claim 3, wherein said alpha-hydroxy-C1-C6-carboxy sulfinate is a compound of Formula IV
5. The hair relaxer according to claim 1, wherein said alpha-hydroxy-C1-C6 sulfinate is present in an amount that provides an equivalent of about 4 to about 6 weight percent of sodium sulfinomethanolate based upon the total weight of relaxer composition applied to the hair.
6. An aqueous hair relaxer composition having a pH value of about 12 to about 14 comprising i) an aqueous composition of active human hair straightening ingredient, ii) a cosmetically useful amount of excipient, and iii) a naturally grey or white human hair discoloration-inhibiting amount an alpha-hydroxy-C1-C6 sulfinate of Formula I in addition to said active straightening
ingredients and excipients, wherein
R1 and R2 are the same or different and are hydrogen (hydrido) or hydrocarbyl, or
one of R1 and R2 is carboxy or carboxy-substituted hydrocarbyl and the other is hydrido or hydrocarbyl that together (R1+R2) contain a total of five carbon atoms, or
R1 and R2 together with the depicted carbon atom form a ring structure that can contain up to six carbon atoms, and
M is a proton or a cosmetically acceptable cation such as an ammonium ion, a monovalent metal ion or an equivalent of a divalent metal ion of the Groups Ia, IIa, IIb, IVa or VIIIb of the Periodic Table of the Elements.
7. The hair relaxer according to claim 6, wherein said alpha-hydroxy-C1-C6 sulfinate being dissolved or dispersed in said relaxer in an amount that provides an equivalent of about 4 to about 6 weight percent of sodium sulfinomethanolate based upon the total weight of relaxer composition applied to the hair.
8. The hair relaxer according to claim 6, wherein M is sodium or potassium.
9. The hair relaxer according to claim 6 that is formulated as a no-lye relaxer in which said active human hair straightening ingredient is a mixture of an alkaline earth hydroxide and an amidino group-containing organic base.
10. The hair relaxer according to claim 6 that is formulated as a no-base, no-lye relaxer.
11. The hair relaxer according to claim 6, in which said active human hair straightening ingredient is an alkali metal hydroxide.
12. The hair relaxer according to claim 11, wherein said alkali metal hydroxide is sodium hydroxide.
13. The hair relaxer according to claim 6, wherein said alpha-hydroxy-C1-C6 sulfinate is disodium 2-hydroxy-2-sulfinatoacetate.
14. The hair relaxer according to claim 6, wherein said alpha-hydroxy-C1-C6 sulfinate is sodium sulfinomethanolate.
15. In a method of straightening naturally grey or white human hair with an aqueous hair relaxer composition containing active straightening ingredients and excipients in which said relaxer composition is applied to the hair, the hair is physically smoothed and maintained smoothed for a time period sufficient for hair straightening to occur, rinsed, shampooed, and dried, the improvement which comprises using the aqueous human hair relaxing composition according to claim 1.
16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said alpha-hydroxy-C1-C6 sulfinate has the structure of Formula III
HO\u2014CH2\u2014SO2M. \u2003\u2003III
17. The method according to claim 15, wherein said alpha-hydroxy-C1-C6 sulfinate is an alpha-hydroxy-C1-C6-carboxy sulfinate of Formula II
18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said alpha-hydroxy-C1-C6 sulfinate is a compound of Formula IV
19. The method according to claim 15, wherein said alpha-hydroxy-C1-C6 sulfinate is present in an amount that provides an equivalent of about 4 to about 6 weight percent of sodium sulfinomethanolate based upon the total weight of relaxer composition applied to the hair.