Abstract

The phase velocity in fibers varies with frequency due to dispersion. The longer the fiber distance, the more severe the degradation of the signal. Hence the permissible frequency bandwidth is inversely proportional to the repeater distance. Bélanger (IEEE Phot. Technol. Lett. 1989) predicted that periodic signals would be self-restored at specific distances. Indebetouw generalized this prediction to a class of quasiperiodic signals. Both predictions were based on a parabolic model of the dispersion. We generalize these predictions for arbitrary dispersions, and we speculate on the usefulness of these predictions, which are based entirely on linear optics.

© 1990 Optical Society of America