Optical equalization to combat the effects of laser chirp and fiber dispersion

Optical equalizers capable of combating the effects of laser chirp and fiber chromatic dispersion on high-speed long-haul fiber-optic communication links at 1.5 μm are described. They consist of both reflective and transmissive cavity structures. The equalizers are adaptive in the sense that the position of their periodic frequency responses are optimally adjusted in real time. The equalizers are evaluated by using computer simulation routines based on the rate equations for intensity-modulated lasers. It is shown that, by using equalizers of the type proposed, the receiver data eyes remain open well beyond where they would close without equalization.