2.5 and 10 Gb/s transmission experiments using a 137 photon/bit erbium-fiber preamplifier receiver

An optical-preamplifier receiver with sensitivity of 137 photons/bit at 2.5 Gb/s and 1.530- mu m wavelength is presented. The sensitivity is 193 photons/bit at 10 Gb/s. The authors discuss the degradations from the quantum-limited value of 38 photons/bit. By employing an optical power amplifier at the transmitter, the authors demonstrate 2.5 Gb/s-250 km and 10 Gb/s-220 km transmission through dispersion-shifted fiber.<
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