Abstract: A method of phase modulating optical radiation by the steps of phase modulating the optical radiation by using a modulator having an extinction ratio in order to provide a multilevel phase shift key signal, and applying to each optical pulse a phase-shift having an absolute value depending on the extinction ratio and a sign depending, for each of the optical pulses, on the respective optical phase value. An apparatus implementing the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of phase modulating optical radiation by the steps of phase modulating the optical radiation by using a modulator having an extinction ratio in order to provide a multilevel phase shift key signal, and applying to each optical pulse a phase-shift having an absolute value depending on the extinction ratio and a sign depending, for each of the optical pulses, on the respective optical phase value. An apparatus implementing the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of phase modulating optical radiation by the steps of phase modulating the optical radiation by using a modulator having an extinction ratio in order to provide a multilevel phase shift key signal, and applying to each optical pulse a phase-shift having an absolute value depending on the extinction ratio and a sign depending, for each of the optical pulses, on the respective optical phase value. An apparatus implementing the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of phase modulating optical radiation by the steps of phase modulating the optical radiation by using a modulator having an extinction ratio in order to provide a multilevel phase shift key signal, and applying to each optical pulse a phase-shift having an absolute value depending on the extinction ratio and a sign depending, for each of the optical pulses, on the respective optical phase value. An apparatus implementing the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: An optical communication system has a transmitter generating a phase-modulated optical signal (Sa, Sb, . . . , Sk); a receiver for receiving the phase-modulated optical signal; an optical communication link between the transmitter section and the receiver section. The optical communication link is a dispersion-managed optical communication link having dispersion-compensating elements propagating the phase-modulated optical signal at substantially constant optical power. The receiver has a dispersive element having a prescribed dispersion, the dispersive element receiving and converting the phase-modulated optical signal into a corresponding intensity-modulated optical signal, and an optical intensity detector fed with the intensity-modulated optical signal.