Electroabsorption modulator-enabled long-haul and ultralong-haul fiber optic transmissions

Abstract

In this paper we report that the electro-absorption modulators can also enable long haul and ultra-long haul transmission in the wavelength-division multiplexed fiber optic networks, with potentially much smaller equipment size and at much lower cost. The error-free transmission distance can be as long as 2,000 km using standard single-mode fiber for both non-return-to-zero and return-to-zero data formats, and can be even longer with forward-error correction technology. Sufficient optical signal-to-noise ratios are maintained and wide-open eye diagrams are observed. No significant path penalties attributable to chirp are observed. A low cost return-to-zero transmitter, simple in architecture and small in physical size, is demonstrated by using only one electro-absorption modulator. These results indicate the maturity, particularly the chirp manageability, of the electro-absorption modulator technology for metro and long haul as well as ultra-long haul applications. Therefore, large-scale opto-electronics integration in wavelength-division multiplexing equipment becomes a promising reality.