Digital optical modulator for programmable n-quadrature amplitude modulation generation

An optical transceiver comprising:

• an optical signal input;
• a first modulation segment coupled to the optical signal input;
• a second modulation segment coupled to the optical signal input and positioned in parallel with the first modulation segment,
• the first modulation segment comprising:
• a first digital driver;
• and
• a first modulator section coupled to the first digital driver and configured to receive a first digital electrical signal input via the first digital driver, and
• the second modulation segment comprising:
• a second digital driver;
• and
• a second modulator section coupled to the second digital driver and configured to receive a second digital electrical signal input via the second digital driver;
• and the first modulation segment and the second modulation segment
• being configured to generate a quadrature amplitude modulated signal, and
• an electrical delay being applied the second digital electrical signal input received by the second modulator section, the electrical delay corresponding to an optical delay present at the second modulator section.

A method comprising:

• receiving, by a modulator comprising a first segment and a second segment, an optical signal, the first segment and the second segment of the modulator each comprising a plurality of sections, each of the plurality of sections of the first segment and the second segment being coupled to one of a plurality of digital drivers;
• applying, by the modulator, an electrical delay to at least one of a plurality of digital electrical signal inputs received by at least one of the plurality of sections from a digital electrical signal processor, the electrical delay corresponding to an optical delay present at the at least one of the plurality of sections;
• and
• modulating, by the plurality of sections of the first segment and the second segment, the optical signal using the plurality of digital electrical signal inputs to generate a quadrature amplitude modulated signal, wherein a digital electrical signal input is not converted to an analog signal prior to being used to modulate the optical signal.