Electrical Signal Processing Techniques in Long-Haul, Fiber- Optic Systems.

The purpose of this memorandum is to demonstrate the potential for electrical signal processing to mitigate the effect of intersymbol interference in long-haul, fiber-optic systems. Intersymbol interference in long-haul fiber-optic systems can severely degrade performance and consequently limit both the maximum distance and data rate. The sources of intersymbol interference include nonlinearity in the transmit laser, chromatic dispersion in systems operated at wavelengths other than the dispersion minimum of the fiber, polarization dispersion, and bandwidth limitations in the receiver. It is expected that longer, repeaterless spans made feasible through the use of optical amplifiers will increase the need for the processing techniques described in this memorandum.