Optical dispersion eigencompensators for high-speed long-haul IM/DD lightwave systems: computer simulation

Abstract

This paper proposes what is believed to be the first linear optical dispersion-compensating technique capable of more effectively compensating for dispersively chirped signal than dispersively chirp-free signal. An effective digital eigen-filter approach is introduced for designing optical dispersion eigencompensators (ODECs) for compensation of the combined effects of laser chirp and fiber chromatic dispersion at 1550 nm in high-speed long-haul intensity-modulation direct-detection (IM/DD) lightwave systems. An integrated-optic synthesis of the ODEC using planar lightwave circuit (PLC) technology is proposed to enable high-speed signal regeneration. The proposed eigencompensating scheme is shown to result in the phenomenon of optical power enhancement: the combined effects of laser chirp, fiber chromatic dispersion and ODEC group delay can re-open the receiver eye further than the ideal eye-opening. The eigencompensating approach is shown to compare favorably with the Chebyshev filter technique in both the frequency and time domains.