Abstract

Demands for high-speed optical links have been growing, not just for long-haul transmission systems but also for medium- span systems based on the 1310-nm optimized fiber (SMF). To date, several SMF links that use the lowest-loss window of the SMF with high dispersion at 1550 nm have been reported. These include a dispersion-limited 10-Gbit/s, 50-km link that uses a low-chirp external modulator and Er-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFA’s)¹ and a dispersion-compensated 10-Gbit/s, 150-km link that uses EDFA’s.² These systems, however, require excessive quantities of dispersion-compensation fibers and high-power- consumption EDFA’s. On the other hand, at the zero-dispersion wavelength of 1310 nm, fiber dispersion is negligible and the simple fiber-loss-limited configuration that uses the directly modulated laser-diode (LD) transmitters and avalanche-photodiode (APD) receivers, which have low power consumption, can be used. For the cost-effective realization of high-speed medium-span links, such as high-speed LAN’s, intracity links, and future subscriber networks, 1310-nm SMF links with LD transmitters and APD receivers are fascinating candidates because of their economy and high performance. However, it would be necessary to enlarge the power budget.

© 1993 Optical Society of America