8.2 Gbit/s, 4200-km soliton data transmission using a semiconductor soliton source

A mode-locked monolithic extended-cavity laser is employed as a soliton source in an 8.2 Gbit/s recirculating fiber loop experiment. The 20-ps solitons exhibit a time-bandwidth product of 0.34. Pulse profiles are measured with a streak camera at propagation distances up to 15000 km. Numerical simulations showed that the measured data transmission distance, 4200 km for a bit error rate of 10/sup -9/, may increase to approximately 8000 km with improved receiver immunity to Gordon Haus pulse jitter.<
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