Abstract: A direct modulation phase shift keying transmission system (DM-PSK transmission system) is disclosed for coherent optical fiber transmission in which an injection current supplied to a semiconductor laser is adapted to be directly modulated. This system presents useful features in automatic frequency control, demodulation, and phase noise suppression.

Abstract: A receiver for coherent optical communication in a phase diversity system. An optical hybrid circuit receives a signal beam and receives a local-oscillator beam which has a predetermined phase shift. The optical hybrid circuit branches each beam into pairs, each pair having one signal beam and one local-oscillator beam. These beam pairs are output to first and second photodetectors which each apply a photoelectric conversion, thus producing first and second output signals. The output signals are output to an electrical 90.degree. hybrid circuit which shifts the first signal by 90.degree. and adds it to the second signal to produce a first output signal, and shifts the second signal by 90.degree. and adds it to the first signal to produce a second output signal. The first and second output signals are applied to first and second demodulators, respectively, which delay the signals by a delay corresponding to their frequency.

Abstract: An optical signal receiver comprising an optical mixing/polarization splitting unit for producing IF optical signals having two orthogonally polarized components, an optical signal receiving unit for producing four corresponding IF electric signals, and a combining circuit for combining two IF electric signals having one polarization with the other two IF electric signals having the other polarization, suppressing fluctuation of the polarization and the intensity noise of the related local optical signal. The intensity noise suppression is also effective for IF electric signals having a higher frequency range.

Abstract: A polarized wave diversity optical receiver for coherent optical communication including: an optical local oscillating circuit (7) for oscillating local oscillating light; a mixing circuit (8) for mixing signal light and the local oscillating light to obtain two polarized components; a detecting circuit (9) for detecting the polarized component to output intermediate frequency signals (e.sub.S and e.sub.P); and a frequency control circuit (11) for controlling, in accordance with the intermediate frequency signals (e.sub.S and e.sub.P), the oscillating frequency of the optical local oscillating circuit (7). To ensure that the intermediate frequency does not disappear, the frequency control circuit (11) outputs a combined signal of a sum and a difference of the intermediate frequency signals (e.sub.S and e.sub.P).

Abstract: A lighting apparatus for an electric discharge lamp includes a lighting ballast capacitor connected in series to an electric dicharge lamp for stabilizing a lighting current to the lamp; a preheating ballast capacitor connected in parallel to the lamp for supplying a preheating electric power to the lamp; electric power supply including an output transformer for supplying an electric power to the lighting ballast capacitor; a control electric power supply circuit for obtaining a control electric power through the lighting ballast capacitor and discharge lamp or the preheating ballast capacitor without adding a stepdown transformer or a resistive element for voltage drop; and an oscillator which receives the control electric power from the control power supply circuit and controls the electric power supply. With this lighting apparatus, the electric power loss is made small and the miniaturization of the apparatus can be realized.

Abstract: An optical circulator comprising a first optical path and a second optical path formed between a first polarizer prism and a second polarizer prism, Faraday rotators interposed in the first and second optical paths, the polarizing direction of the Faraday rotators being rotated by an angle of 45.degree. by a magnetic field and the direction of polarizing rotation being reversed with respect to the propagation direction of light which passes therethrough, and polarizing direction rotators interposed in the first and second optical paths, the polarizing direction of the polarizing direction rotators being rotated by an angle of 45.degree. and the direction of polarizing rotation not being reversed with respect to the propagation direction of light which passes therethrough.