Abstract: The present invention is an optical multiplex communication system in which an optical wavelength division channel and an optical code division channel can coexist, wherein a WDM channel section 86 has a wavelength demultiplexer 36 and WDM channels W1 to W4. An optical pulse string 83-3 is demultiplexed by the wavelength demultiplexer 36, and for channel W1, an optical pulse 37 with wavelength ?1 is input to an intensity modulator 114 and converted into an optical pulse signal of channel W1, and is output as a wavelength division optical pulse signal 115, where transmission information of channel W1 is reflected.

Abstract: An optical system comprising a frequency modulated laser source adapted to produce a frequency modulated optical beam, an optical spectrum reshaper (OSR) adapted to receive the frequency modulated optical beam from the laser source and convert it into an amplitude modulated optical beam, a focusing lens adapted to receive the amplitude modulated optical beam from the OSR and focus the same, and an optical fiber adapted to receive the amplitude modulated optical beam from the focusing lens and transmit an optical signal; characterized in that the OSR has a central axis, the focusing lens has a central axis, and the optical fiber has a central axis, with the central axis of the optical fiber being laterally offset from at least one of the central axis of the OSR and the central axis of the focusing lens so as to effect spatial filtering and thereby generate the desired optical transmission characteristics for the resulting optical signal in the optical fiber.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to provide a modulator, an optical transmitter and an optical transfer device which can modulate a channel signal while suppressing residual AM signals regardless of the frequency of a channel signal and suppressing deterioration of the channel signal due to impossibility of giving a sufficient FM demodulation amplitude.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a transmitter and receiver for optical communications system, which provide compensation of the optical link nonlinearity. M-PSK modulating is used for data embedding in an optical signal in each WDM channel using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) technique. At the receiver side electrical output signals from a coherent optical receiver are processed digitally with the link nonlinearity compensation. It is followed by the signal conversion into frequency domain and information recovery from each subcarrier of the OFDM signal. At the transmitter side an OFDM encoder provides a correction of I and Q components of a M-PSK modulator driving signal to compensate the link nonlinearity prior to sending the optical signal to the receiver.

Abstract: An optical signal transmitter includes first and second modulation units, a combiner, and a control unit. The first and second modulation units generate first and second modulated optical signals, respectively. The combiner combines the first and second modulated optical signals to generate a polarization multiplexed optical signal. The control unit controls at least one of the first and second modulation units so that the optical powers of the first and second modulated optical signals become approximately equal to each other.

Abstract: In an optical modulator, a DQPSK modulating section, a waveguide optical amplifying section, and an RZ modulating section are cascade connected on an optical path between input and output ports, and power of RZ-DQPSK signal light output from the output port is monitored by a photodetector, to feed-back control the waveguide optical amplifying section by an output control section so that the monitored power becomes constant at a target level. As a result, a small and low-cost optical modulator that can reliably compensate respective losses in a phase modulating section and an intensity modulating section, and differences of the respective losses, can be realized.

Abstract: A system having a first optical modulator operates in a non-linear region thereof and fed by: an input radio frequency signal; and, a first optical frequency signal having a wavelength ?2. A second optical modulator operates in a linear region thereof and fed by: a fractional portion of the input radio frequency signal phase shifted relative to the input radio frequency signal by n? radians where n is an odd integer; and a second different optical frequency signal wavelength ?1. A first photodiode is fed by an output of the first optical modulator. A second photodiode is fed by an output of the second optical modulator and a fractional portion of an output of the first optical modulator. An amplifier is fed by the second photodiode. A subtractor is fed by the amplifier and the first photodiode.

Abstract: A high-speed optical transmitter comprises multiple digital lanes that are provided to a bank of digital-to-analog converters. The analog signals are then used to Phase Shift Keyed (PSK) modulation using a Chirp Managed Laser (CML)-based transmitter, and potentially using dual polarization. A corresponding optical receiver receives the sequence of optical signals at a demodulator. For each polarization, the demodulator includes a corresponding demodulation channel that is configured to demodulate that polarization component of the optical signal into one or more signal components. Each of these signal components is converted into a corresponding digital signal using a corresponding analog-to-digital converter. In the case of higher-order PSK modulation (e.g., 8PSK or higher), for each polarization, the analog converter has a lower sampling rate than for QPSK modulation.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a 16-QAM optical modulator has a Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) coupled to a drive circuit that drives the MZM based on two electrical binary signals. The output of the MZM corresponds to an intermediary constellation consisting of four constellation points arranged on a straight line in the corresponding in-phase/quadrature-phase (I-Q) plane. Two of these constellation points correspond to a zero phase, and the remaining two constellation points correspond to a phase of ? radian. The 16-QAM optical modulator further has a phase shifter that modulates the output of the MZM based on two additional electrical binary signals. The resulting optical output signal corresponds to a star 16-QAM constellation, which is produced by incremental rotation of the intermediary constellation.

Abstract: A single wavelength fiber-optic communication system that mixes an Ethernet signal with a radio frequency signal is disclosed. The system includes an Ethernet signal module, a radio frequency signal module, a mixer module and a receiver module. The Ethernet signal module provides an Ethernet signal. The radio frequency signal module provides a radio frequency signal. The mixer module provides an optical mixed signal by means of mixing the Ethernet signal with the radio signal at a single wavelength. The receiver module transforms the optical mixed signal into the radio frequency signal and a digital signal that contains the Ethernet signal.

Abstract: Out-of-band data communication of diagnostic or other data is performed using transceivers in a data or communication network. A light beam or other carrier is modulated with high-speed data and out-of-band data to create a double modulated data signal. A physical layer signal is created that includes modulations of the double modulated signal. The physical layer signal is transmitted onto a physical link. The diagnostic or other data can be transmitted in the out-of-band signal without substantially reducing or otherwise interfering with the transmission rate of the high-speed data.

Abstract: A multi-level modulation receiving device for adaptively compensating for chromatic dispersion and polarization mode dispersion with high precision. Each equalizing filter has at least one variable parameter as a weight therefor and equalizes the waveform of a corresponding channel signal in accordance with an averaged variable parameter value. A signal quality monitor monitors the signal quality of the filter output signal, and a variable parameter value calculator calculates a variable parameter value to be set as the variable parameter, in accordance with the signal quality. A variable parameter averaging unit averages the variable parameter values calculated for respective channels, to generate an averaged variable parameter value, and sends the averaged variable parameter value to the equalizing filters such that the same weight is set in the equalizing filters associated with the n channels.

Abstract: This invention generally relates to an optical filter for a fiber optic communication system. An optical filter may be used, following a directly modulated laser source, and converts a partially frequency modulated signal into a substantially amplitude modulated signal. The optical filter may compensate for the dispersion in the fiber optic transmission medium and may also lock the wavelength of the laser source.

Abstract: A fiber optic communication system comprising: an optical signal source adapted to receive a binary base signal having a bit period T, and generate a first signal, wherein the first signal is frequency modulated; and an optical spectrum reshaper (OSR) adapted to reshape the first signal into a second signal, wherein the second signal is amplitude modulated and frequency modulated; characterized in that: the optical signal source is a laser in which frequency modulation is generated by modulating the loss of the laser cavity. A method for transmitting a signal, comprising: receiving a binary base signal having a bit period T, and generating a first signal, wherein the first signal is frequency modulated; and reshaping the first signal into a second signal, wherein the second signal is amplitude modulated and frequency modulated; characterized in that: the first signal is frequency modulated by using a laser in which frequency modulation is generated by modulating the loss of the laser cavity.

Abstract: Disclosed are a device and a method for transmitting an optical data signal over an optical transmission channel, comprising a differential phase shift keying unit for differential phase shift keying of at least one serial data stream to generate a differential phase shift keying coded data stream; an amplitude shift keying unit for amplitude coding of at least two further serial data streams that can be selectively activated to generate an amplitude shift keying coded data stream; and a modulation unit for generating an optical data signal in accordance with a control signal that is, formed from the generated differential phase shift keying coded data stream and from the generated amplitude shift keying coded data stream.

Abstract: An optical homodyne communication system and method in which a side carrier is transmitted along with data bands in an optical data signal, and upon reception, the side carrier is boosted, shifted to the center of the data bands, and its polarization state is matched to the polarization state of the respective data bands to compensate for polarization mode dispersion during transmission. By shifting a boosted side carrier to the center of the data bands, and by simultaneously compensating for the effects of polarization mode dispersion, the provided system and method simulate the advantages of homodyne reception using a local oscillator. The deleterious effects of chromatic dispersion on the data signals within the data bands are also compensated for by applying a corrective function to the data signals which precisely counteracts the effects of chromatic dispersion.

Abstract: A method for modulating an optical signal includes the following steps: modulating the intensity of the optical signal with a nonreturn-to-zero bit signal, and modulating the phase of the optical signal with a periodic phase-shift signal creating an alternating ?-phase shift every second, third or more consecutive bit. An optical transmitter for performing the above method comprises a first modulator (2) modulating the intensity of the optical signal with a nonreturn-to-zero bit signal, and a second modulator (3) modulating the phase of the optical signal with a periodic phase-shift signal creating an alternating ?-phase shift every second, third or more consecutive bit.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for pulse-amplitude equalization of rational harmonic mode-locked optical pulses provides modulation voltages greater than a switching voltage of a dual-electorde Mach-Zehnder modulator to electrodes of the Mach-Zehnder modulator, so that rational harmonic mode-locked optical pulses experience the same transmission coefficient through the Mach-Zehnder modulator, to thereby achieve amplitude-equalized rational harmonic mode-locked optical pulse trains.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system, apparatus, and method for efficient optical amplification and transmission of a data-encoded optical signal within a networking device, such as a transmitter or receiver. In various embodiments of the invention, an optical duobinary signal or hybrid duobinary signal is generated and shaped in preparation for amplification of the optical signal by an SOA. The deleterious impact of SOA fast gain dynamics may be reduced by taking advantage of characteristics of a duobinary or hybrid duobinary signal (e.g., a relatively lower pulse amplitude and no phase encoded data) and shaping the optical duobinary pulse (e.g., smoothing amplitude swings within the signal and spectral compression).

Abstract: An optical transmitter of an optical-wireless hybrid transmission system according to the invention outputs a first single-mode optical signal (center frequency: fC1) to an optical receiver, generates a polarization-coupled optical signal by orthogonal-polarization-coupling a second single-mode optical signal (center frequency: fC2) with a third single-mode optical signal (center frequency: fC3) so as to give the two waves orthogonal polarization directions and the same optical power, and transmits the generated polarization-coupled optical signal to a base station as an optical carrier signal. The optical receiver couples a modulated optical signal transmitted from the base station with the optical signal output from the optical transmitter, demodulates an electrical signal having intermediate frequencies fIF1 and fIF2 that is obtained by photodecting a resulting coupled optical signal, and generates transmit-data by filtering a resulting output signal.

Abstract: Optical techniques, devices and systems for combining duobinary modulation and optical subcarrier multiplexing in optical communication applications. An analog mixer is used to mix a duobinary signal for a data channel and a local oscillator signal to produce a modulation control signal for controlling the subsequent optical subcarrier multiplexing modulation. Various optical subcarrier multiplexing modulation techniques may be used including optical single sideband modulators and optical double sideband modulators.

Abstract: Techniques, apparatus and systems to provide adjustable bit rate optical transmission using programmable signal modulation in optical communication systems.

Abstract: The invention relates to a modulation scheme for optical communication, in particular for fiber optics communication. According to invention, an optical signal is generated, both phase and polarization of which modulated in dependency of the data to be transmitted. Preferably, the generated optical signal comprises a sequence of symbols (22a-22k) and each symbol (22a-22k) has one of two different phase states and one of two different orthogonal polarization states.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for making timing alignment for a data transmission system, the method comprising providing a reference clock signal with a first frequency to a multiplexer through a phase shifter, generating a multiplexed signal with a second frequency by the multiplexer, wherein the second frequency follows the first frequency and is higher than the first frequency by a predetermined proportion, sending the multiplexed signal to a modulator, and phase shifting the reference clock signal by the phase shifter before the reference clock signal is provided to the multiplexer, wherein a timing of the multiplexed signal at the second frequency level can be adjusted by adjusting a timing of the reference clock signal at the lower first frequency level.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating multilevel amplitude and phase encoded signals using a pair of 1:N beam splitter/combiner(s) having a pre-defined splitting distribution and an array of zero-biased, Mach-Zehnder Modulators configured for phase modulation.

Abstract: An all-optical label swapping system and method superimposes a low-speed ASK label on top of a high-speed DC-balanced-line-coded ASK payload. An old ASK label is erased by modulating the combined payload and label signal with the inverse of the received ASK label. This ASK labeling technique requires only low speed external modulators and low speed optical receivers to perform the label swapping mechanism, and does not require sophisticated optical components.

Abstract: An optical communication system which has an optical signal source adapted to receive a base binary signal and produce a first signal, said first signal being frequency modulated; and an optical spectrum reshaper adapted to reshape the first signal into a second signal, said second signal being amplitude modulated and frequency modulated in which the frequency characteristics of said first signal, and the optical characteristics of said optical spectrum reshaper, being such that the frequency characteristics of said second signal are configured so as to increase the tolerance of the second signal to dispersion in a transmission fiber.

Abstract: A UWB signal generator includes: a laser light source for generating laser light, an optical intensity modulator for modulating an intensity of laser light from the laser light source, a signal source of the optical intensity modulator for outputting a signal transmitted to the optical intensity modulator, an optical frequency shift keying (optical FSK) modulator to which output light from the optical intensity modulator is input, a signal source for controlling a signal transmitted to an RFC electrode of the optical FSK modulator, a high-frequency electric signal source for controlling a signal transmitted to an RFA electrode and an RFB electrode of the optical FSK modulator, and a high-speed photodetector for detecting an output from the optical FSK modulator.

Abstract: An optical sender is disclosed that operates in a Differential Quadrature Phase Shift Keying modulation scheme for high speed optical transmission and is capable of performing logical calculations at a low speed. The optical sender transmits a Differential Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (DQPSK) signal generated with modulation signals ?k and ?k so that a signal directly output from a signal receiver corresponding to the optical sender is in agreement with data signals Ik and Qk to be transmitted. The signal receiver is capable of modulation by DQPSK, and the modulation signals ?k and ?k are precoded by using the data signals Ik and Qk and the modulation signals one symbol earlier (?k?1 and ?k?1) . The optical sender includes plural precoders that perform logical calculation simultaneously and in parallel on plural data signals one period after another period.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for supporting a plurality of modulation formats using a single transmitter are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a transmitter arrangement that provides a signal to a modulator that creates an optical data stream from the signal includes an encoder and a switching/filtering arrangement. The encoder has a state that is varied between first and second encoder states. If the state is the first encoder state, the encoder encodes the signal in a format associated with an optical duobinary (ODB) modulation format. Otherwise, the encoder does not encode the signal in the format associated with the ODB modulation format. The switching/filtering arrangement receives the signal from the encoder, and provides the signal to the modulator. If the variable state of the encoder is the first encoder state, the switching/filtering arrangement has a low bandpass configuration. Otherwise, the switching/filtering arrangement has a high bandpass configuration.

Abstract: A method and system of measuring the spectroscopic impedance of a sensor and its immediate surroundings. The sensor is disposed on an engineered structure and is coated with a protective coating. The method includes providing a first optical signal having a first modulation frequency and amplitude. The method also includes transmitting the first optical signal and a second optical signal from a first location to a sensor location. The method also includes modulating the second optical signal with a second modulation frequency and amplitude, the second modulation frequency and amplitude converted from the first optical signal. The method also includes comparing the first modulation frequency to the second modulation frequency to determine one of a phase difference and a time lag and calculating the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of the sensor and its immediate surroundings as a function of frequency.

Abstract: A fiber optic communication system comprising: an optical signal source adapted to receive a binary base signal having a bit period T, and generate a first signal, wherein the first signal is frequency modulated; and an optical spectrum reshaper (OSR) adapted to reshape the first signal into a second signal, wherein the second signal is amplitude modulated and frequency modulated; characterized in that: the frequency excursion of the first signal is adjusted such that the frequency excursion is substantially equal to the ratio of the bit period of the digital base signal to total dispersion of the transmission fiber, whereby to increase the tolerance of the second signal to dispersion in a transmission fiber.

Abstract: A fiber optic communication system, comprising: an optical signal source adapted to produce a frequency modulated signal; and an optical spectrum reshaper adapted to receive the frequency modulated signal and output a substantially amplitude modulated signal; wherein the optical spectrum reshaper limits the bandwidth of the frequency modulated signal.

Abstract: An optical transmission system which provides bandwidth restricted optical signal comprises an input terminal (10) for accepting an electrical binary signal, an amplifier (12) for amplifying said electrical binary signal to the level requested for operating an electrical-optical converter (16) such as a Mach Zehnder light modulator, a bandwidth restriction means (14) which is for instance a low pass filter for restricting bandwidth of said electrical binary signal, and an electrical-optical conversion means (16) such as a Mach Zehnder light modulator for converting electrical signal to optical signal. Because of the location of the low pass filter (14) between an output of the amplifier (12) and the Mach Zehnder light modulator (16), the amplifier (12) may operate in saturation region to provide high level output signal enough for operating the Mach Zehnder light modulator, and a signal shaped by the low pass filter (14) is applied to the Mach Zehnder light modulator (16) with excellent waveform.

Abstract: An optical transmitter for generating a modulated optical signal for transmission over dispersive fiber optic links in which a first information-containing radio frequency signal input is applied to a modulation circuit for directly modulating a semiconductor laser with the signal input. The output of the laser is applied to a phase modulator to which a second information-containing radio frequency signal is applied.

Abstract: In a quaternary phase modulator including two phase modulators disposed in parallel and a phase adjuster that adjusts a phase difference when the outputs of the two phase modulators are combined, there are provided a second light source that introduces light propagated in a backward direction, a first controller that controls the bias of the two phase modulators so that the intensity of the backward light is a minimum on the input side of the quaternary phase modulator, and a second controller that controls the bias of the phase adjuster so that a result monitored by a photodiode having a bandwidth not exceeding the bit rate on the output side of the quaternary phase modulator is a minimum, the first controller being implemented after the second controller is implemented.

Abstract: An all optical network for optical signal traffic has at least a first ring with at least one transmitter and one receiver. The first ring includes a plurality of network nodes. At least a first add/drop broadband coupler is coupled to the first ring. The broadband coupler includes an add port and a drop port to add and drop wavelengths to and or from the first ring, a pass-through direction and an add/drop direction. The first add/drop broadband coupler is configured to minimize a pass-through loss in the first ring and is positioned on the first ring.

Abstract: A method for upgrading a wavelength division multiplex (WDM) optical communication system includes replacing an installed transmitter operable to transmit a data stream at a defined bit rate with a return-to-zero M-ary phased shift keying (RZ-mPSK) transmitter operable to transmit the data stream at the defined bit rate and at least one other data stream at the defined bit rate together in an RZ-mPSK signal having a combined bit rate at least double the defined bit rate and a symbol rate equal to the defined bit rate. An installed receiver operable to receive the data stream at the defined bit rate is replaced with an RZ-mPSK receiver operable to recover the data stream at the defined bit rate and the at least one other data stream at the defined bit rate from the RZ-mPSK signal.

Abstract: Optical transmission equipment, capable of electrically adjusting the delay difference between a plurality of digital signal paths to be connected to a multilevel optical modulation unit or demodulation unit, having multiplexing circuits connected to the digital signal paths and a delay adjustment unit inserted in one of the digital signal paths to adjust delay of N-bit-parallel low-speed digital signals with the timing unit of a bit period of a high-speed serial digital signal to be outputted from multiplexing circuit.

Abstract: An optical transmitter which modulates the phases and intensities of double pulses and then transmits them, includes a branching section which branches each of the input double pulses to first and second paths, a first optical modulator placed in the first path, second and third optical modulators placed in series in the second path, and a combining section which combines the double pulses having traveled through the first path with the double pulses having traveled through the second path to output double pulses. A control section controls such that each of the first and second optical modulators performs any one of relative intensity modulation and relative phase modulation on the double pulses passing through, and the third optical modulator performs relative phase modulation on the double pulses passing through.

Abstract: An optical transmitter is discloses having a gain section and a phase section. The phase section is modulated to generate a frequency modulated signal encoding data. The frequency modulated signal is transmitted through an optical spectrum reshaper operable to convert it into a frequency and amplitude modulated signal. In some embodiments, a driving circuit is coupled to the phase and gain sections is configured to simultaneously modulate both the phase and gain sections such that the first signal is both frequency and amplitude modulated.

Abstract: A polarization duobinary optical transmitter is disclosed. The transmitter includes a precoder for coding an electric signal and a light source for generating continuous light. The transmitter also includes a chirped-free modulator for generating an NRZ signal including first and second polarization light beams orthogonal to each other by modulating the light with the electric signal and a band-pass filter for limiting neighbor frequency bands between the first and second polarization light beams.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a multi-wavelength pulse train use a technique referred to as time-lens compression. The time-lens is formed of a phase modulator in series with a dispersion element. In addition to pulse compression, this time-lens simultaneously displaces the pulses according to their center wavelengths, resulting in a temporally evenly spaced multi-wavelength pulse train. An aberration correction technique, based on the temporal analog of a spatial correction lens, can also be employed improve the quality of the compressed pulses. Through use of CW DFB lasers and electrooptic phase modulators, the all-fiber system allows complete tunability of temporal spacing, spectral profile and repetition rate.

Abstract: An optical multilevel-coded signal transmission system transmits information from an optical transmitter to an optical receiver through an optical transmission line using optical intensity and optical phase separately. The optical transmitter includes an inverted RZ signal light generator to generate an inverted RZ signal light intensity-modulated with a first data, and an optical phase modulator to phase-modulate the inverted RZ signal light according to a second data. The optical receiver includes a splitter to split a light input from the optical transmission line into first and second portions, an inverter to invert the first portion from the splitter, a first detector to detect the first data in the first portion inverted by the inverter, a converter to convert a phase-modulated signal included in the second portion from the splitter into an optical intensity-modulated signal, and a second detector to detect the second data in the optical intensity-modulated signal from the converter.

Abstract: An optical communications system has a transmitter which uses modulation using multiple level phase and/or amplitude modulation, and is adaptable to provide modulation for different signals using different selections of the multiple levels. A receiver is able to perform demodulation from the multiple level phase and/or amplitude modulation, and is adaptable to provide demodulation of signals modulated using the different selections of the multiple levels. This provides an adaptive modulation system, so that different bit rates can be employed for different links.

Abstract: An optical transmitter for generating return-to-zero alternative-mark-inversion (RZ-AMI) optical signals and a method for generating the optical signals are provided. The optical transmitter includes a light source radiating at its output an intensity-modulated light beam based upon intensity of a first data, a precoder for precoding a second data having the information identical to the first data, and a Mach Zehnder modulator for phase-modulating the intensity-modulated light on basis of the precoded second data to generate a return-to-zero alternative-mark-inversion (RZ-AMI) optical signal.

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for making time alignment for a data transmission system. A first reference clock signal is provided to a first multiplexer coupled to a data modulator through a data driver, and a second reference clock signal is provided to a second multiplexer coupled to a clock modulator through a clock driver. Phase adjustment of the reference clock signal are conducted before the first reference clock signal is provided to the first multiplexer, wherein the phase adjustment aligns a timing of data modulated by the data modulator with a periodically modulated light source generated by the clock modulator.

Abstract: The invention, in one form, is a fiber optic system having an optical signal source adapted to produce a frequency and amplitude modulated optical digital signal and a semiconductor optical amplifier adapted to receive the frequency and amplitude modulated optical digital signal and generate negative transient chirp at the transitions between bits. In another form, the invention is a fiber optic system having an optical source adapted to generate a frequency modulated signal, a semiconductor optical amplifier adapted to receive and amplify the frequency modulated signal, and an optical spectrum reshaper adapted to receive the amplified frequency modulated signal and to utilize the amplified frequency modulated signal to increase the amplitude modulation of the signal.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for producing a phase coded non-return-to-zero (PC-NRZ) optical signal. The method includes providing an input optical signal; providing first and second drive signals, the first drive signal having a first data pattern of first and second signal levels, the second drive signal having a second data pattern, the second data pattern having third and fourth signal levels that toggle at least when the first drive signal changes from the first signal level to the second signal level; and modulating amplitude of the input optical signal with the first drive signal and modulating phase of the input optical signal with the second drive signal to produce the PC-NRZ optical signal. A PC-NRZ optical transmitter and an optical transmission system applying the PC-NRZ optical transmitter are also provided.

Abstract: In a representative embodiment, a transmitter of a WDM communication system is equipped with a Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) configured to produce an optical signal corresponding to a duobinary data stream by modulating a beam of light passing through the MZM. A three-level electrical signal is applied to the MZM to modulate the light. At the second signal level, the modulator substantially blocks light transmission. At the first and third levels, the modulator transmits light corresponding to the duobinary “?1” and “+1” bits, respectively, such that a relative phase shift between the optical bits is different than 180 degrees, i.e., the phase shift value employed in prior-art optical duobinary modulation.