Abstract

Today many optical pulse sources are vying to be selected for implementation in 1.55 μm soliton transmission systems. System designers can currently select from sources such as Erbium-doped fiber ring lasers,¹ Ti:LiNbO₃ modulators,² or semiconductor lasers, which are mode-locked,³ or electroabsorption modulated.⁴ Driven primarily towards application in non-return-to-zero (NRZ) optically amplified systems, the electroabsorption modulated laser (EML) has quickly found application in soliton systems. The semiconductor design is attractive for its compact package and for its proven reliability. Sinusoidally driven electroabsorption (EA) modulators also offer flexible repetition rate operation, low chirp output and integration potential. The soliton pulse transmitter however, is not complete without some method of encoding data. This can be accomplished without external modulators through electrical waveform synthesis or by integrating a second modulator.

© 1995 Optical Society of America