Optical linearizer for fiber communications

A system for optically linearizing the output of an optical transmitter, the output having a center emission wavelength (λc), and said system comprising:

• a means for estimating a wavelength chirping (dλc) in the output of said optical transmitter;
• an optical means for generating a compensation distortion in response to said wavelength chirping (dλc), said optical means being characterized by a wavelength dependent normalized optical transfer curve F(λ) for converting said wavelength chirping (dλc) into said compensation distortion, said optical transfer curve F(λ) having a reference wavelength (λp) and an operating point wavelength offset (Δλb);
• and
• a means for aligning (λp+Δλb) of said optical means with said center emission wavelength (λc) of said output to establish an effective value for said compensation distortion for linearizing the output of said optical transmitter.

A method for linearizing the output of an optical transmitter, wherein the output has a center emission wavelength (λc) and includes a modulated signal with a transmitter distortion introduced by the optical transmitter, said method comprising the steps of:

• estimating a wavelength chirping (dλc) in the output of the optical transmitter;
• using a wavelength dependent normalized optical transfer curve F(λ) to convert the wavelength chirping (dλc) into a compensation distortion;
• and
• adding the compensation distortion with the transmitter distortion to cancel the transmitter distortion from the modulated signal and thereby linearize the output.