Abstract

Solid-state lasers play a key role in optical fiber communications. Directly modulated semiconductor lasers have been used ubiquitously as transmitters in lightwave communication systems. As the output power and modulation speed of these lasers improve, so do the repeater spacing and transmission capacity. Lightwave transmission systems that operate at 2.5 Gb/s with repeater spacings of 40 km or more have been commercially available since 1991. These traditional systems operate in a single wavelength (channel) per fiber at either 1.3- or 1.5-μm wavelength, and employ optoelectronic regenerators as repeaters. For such systems, upgrading networks to higher capacity requires developing higher-speed multiplexers and repeaters, and thus obsoleting existing repeater equipment.

© 1997 Optical Society of America