Optical transmission using polarisation diversity

An optical polarization diversity transmitter arrangement configured to operatively produce and transmit a polarization divided optical signal (OTApol;

• OTAB1pol;
• OTAB2pol;
• OTAB3pol), wherein:
• an optical modulator arrangement is configured to operatively produce optical sideband pairs (SBLA, SBHA;
• SBLA, SBHA, SBLB, SBHB;
• SBLA2, SBHA2, SBLB2, SBHB2;
• SBLA2, SBHA2, SBLB3, SBHB3) each having one sideband (SBLA;
• SBLA, SBLB;
• SBLA2, SBLB2;
• SBLA2, SBLB3) and an other sideband (SBHA;
• SBHA, SBHB;
• SBHA2, SBHB2;
• SBHA2, SBHB3), where the one sideband and the other sideband carry the same set of Information (A;
• A, B);
• an optical polarization rotating arrangement is configured to operatively produce the polarization divided optical signal (OTApol;
• OTAB1pol;
• OTAB2pol;
• OTAB3pol) by polarizing the sideband pairs such that the one sideband receives a first polarization and the other sideband receives a second polarization that is orthogonal to the first polarization.

A optical polarization diversity receiver configured to operatively receive a polarization divided optical signal (OTApol;

• OTAB1pol;
• OTAB2pol;
• OTAB3pol) comprising optical sideband-pairs (SBLA, SBHA;
• SBLA, SBHA, SBLB, SBHB;
• SBLA2, SBHA2, SBLB2, SBHB2;
• SBLA2, SBHA2, SBLB3, SBHB3) each having one sideband (SBLA;
• SBLA, SBLB;
• SBLA2, SBLB2;
• SBLA2, SBLB3) at a first polarization and an other sideband (SBHA;
• SBHA, SBHB;
• SBHA2, SBHB2;
• SBHA2, SBHB3) at a second polarization that is orthogonal to the first polarization, where the one sideband and the other sideband carries the same set of information (A;
• A, B), wherein:
• an optical converter arrangement is configured to operatively receive the polarization divided optical signal (OTApol;
• OTAB1pol;
• OTAB2pol;
• OTAB3pol) so as to produce a down converted optical signal (ODApol;
• ODAB1pol;
• ODAB2pol;
• ODAB3pol) corresponding to the polarization divided optical signal;
• an optical detector arrangement is configured to operatively detect the down converted optical signal so as to produce an electrical signal (RFApol;
• RFAB1pol;
• RFAB2pol;
• RFAB3pol) corresponding to the received polarization divided optical signal;
• an electrical converter arrangement is configured to operatively down convert the electrical signal so as to produce, for each sideband pair, a first converted signal (BBLA;
• BBLA, BBLB;
• BBLA2, BBLB2;
• BBLA2, BBLB3) corresponding to the one sideband (SBLA;
• SBLA, SBLB;
• SBLA2, SBLB2;
• SBLA2, SBLA3) and a second converted signal (BBHA;
• BBHA, BBHB;
• BBHA2, BBHB2;
• BBHA2, BBHB3) corresponding to the other sideband (SBHA;
• SBHA, SBHB;
• SBHA2, SBHB2;
• SBHA2, SBHA3);
• and
• a diversity arrangement is configured to operatively extract the set of information (A;
• A, B) for each sideband pair using a polarization diversity scheme operating on the first converted signal and the second converted signal of each sideband pair.

A system for communicating information carried by a polarization divided optical signal in an optical fiber, wherein:

• an optical polarization diversity transmitter is configured to operatively produce and transmit a polarization divided optical signal (OTApol;
• OTAB1pol;
• OTAB2pol;
• OTAB3pol), comprising optical sideband-pairs (SBLA, SBHA;
• SBLA, SBHA, SBLB, SBHB;
• SBLA2, SBHA2, SBLB2, SBHB2;
• SBLA2, SBHA2, SBLB3, SBHB3) each having one sideband (SBLA;
• SBLA, SBLB;
• SBLA2, SBLB2;
• SBLA2, SBLB3) and an other sideband (SBHA;
• SBHA, SBHB;
• SBHA2, SBHB2;
• SBHA2, SBHB3), where the one sideband and the other sideband carries the same set of information (A;
• A, B);
• and
• an optical polarization diversity receiver is configured to operatively:
• receive and detect the polarization divided optical signal (OTApol;
• OTAB1pol;
• OTAB2pol;
• OTAB3pol) so as to produce an electrical signal (RFApol;
• RFAB1pol;
• RFAB2pol;
• RFAB3pol) corresponding to the polarization divided optical signal;
• down convert the electrical signal so as to produce, for each sideband pair, a first converted signal (BBLA;
• BBLA, BBLB;
• BBLA2, BBLB2;
• BBLA2, BBLB3) corresponding to the one sideband (SBLA;
• SBLA, SBLB;
• SBLA2, SBLB2;
• SBLA2, SBLA3) and a second converted signal (BBHA;
• BBHA, BBHB;
• BBHA2, BBHB2;
• BBHA2, BBHB3) corresponding to the other sideband (SBHA;
• SBHA, SBHB;
• SBHA2, SBHB2;
• SBHA2, SBHA3);
• and
• extract the set of Information (A;
• A, B) for each sideband pair using a polarization diversity scheme operating on the first converted signal and the second converted signal of each sideband pair.