Abstract

The potential total transmission bandwidth of current single-mode optical fibers in the low-loss wavelength regions near 1.3 µm and 1.55 µm approaches 50 THz. In order to explore this enormous capacity for the transmission and distribution of future broadband services, the lightwave research community has been pushing the frontiers of high-speed technology to data rates well beyond 10 Gb/s. Long-distance transmission of wavelength-multiplexed channels that run at multi-gigabit-per-second rates have been demonstrated recently using erbium-doped fiber amplifiers as analog (non-regenerative) repeater amplifiers. As fiber dispersion may become the limiting factor that sets the bit-rate-distance product of a long regenerative repeater span containing optical amplifiers, both optical and electronic means for equalizing the effects of fiber dispersion, as well as soliton techniques, are being investigated for operation at multi-gigabit-per-second rates. Thus advances in device technologies and in transmission techniques not only provide enhancements in system performance, but also offer alternatives in system implementation.

© 1991 Optical Society of America