Enhanced Performance of Intensity Modulation With Direct Detection Using Golay Encoded Nyquist Pulses and Electronic Dispersion Compensation

The performance of intensity modulation (IM) with direct detection (DD) transmission systems is enhanced through a novel combination of multidimensional coding, Nyquist pulse shaping, and electronic dispersion compensation (EDC) at the transmitter using a finite impulse response (FIR) filter. A 24-dimensional (24D) extended Golay binary code effectively transforms each incoming 12-bit message into a 24-bit codeword, achieving a coding efficiency of 0.5 bits per symbol for a 56 Gb/s on-off keying (OOK) transmission over 80 km of single mode fiber. While this encoding process introduces a 50% overhead, the required bandwidth is maintained at 56 GHz through doubling the symbol rate and the application of Nyquist pulse shaping with a raised cosine (RC) profile and a roll-off factor of zero, resulting in a flat power spectral density. This flat distribution contrasts with standard OOK transmission at 56 Gb/s with a roll-off factor of 1.0, where signal power is predominantly concentrated in the lower frequency range. One of the key advantages of the 24D Golay code is its substantial error correction capability. However, the benefits of this multidimensional coding and Nyquist pulse shaping extend beyond error correction. It is shown that, while both the proposed and standard OOK methods exhibit comparable performance in a white Gaussian noise channel at back-to-back, they differ significantly under frequency selective power fading conditions caused by the interplay of chromatic dispersion (CD) and direct detection. The misalignment between the frequency notches introduced by the FIR pre-EDC and those inherent in the channel response, especially severe at lower frequencies, favors transmission schemes with a flat power spectral density, like the 24D Golay-coded Nyquist pulses.