RZ/CSRZ-DPSK and chirped NRZ signal generation using a single-stage dual-electrode Mach-Zehnder modulator

• Published in: IEEE photonics technology letters Vol. 16; no. 11; pp. 2466 - 2468
• Main Authors: Yang Jing Wen, Nirmalathas, A., Dong-Soo Lee
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 01-11-2004; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Chirp modulation; Differential phase shift keying; Differential quadrature phase shift keying; Optical fiber polarization; Optical signal processing; Optical transmitters; Phase modulation; Pulse modulation; Signal generators; Wavelength division multiplexing
• ISSN: 1041-1135; 1941-0174
• DOI: 10.1109/LPT.2004.834892

This letter presents a novel configuration for return-to-zero (RZ) differential phase-shift keyed (DPSK), carrier-suppressed (CS) RZ DPSK, and chirped nonreturn-to-zero (CNRZ) signal generation, which only requires a single-stage dual-electrode Mach-Zehnder modulator (DE-MZM). RZ-DPSK, CSRZ-DPSK, or CNRZ signals can be generated via the same configuration by changing the DE-MZM operating conditions. Analytical derivation and simulation on signal generation and wavelength-division-multiplexed transmission was also carried out to justify the equivalence of the proposed scheme and conventional methods. The proposed scheme is expected to be more cost-effective due to the reduction in required modulator number.