Wideband single sideband modulation of optical carriers

A method for suppressing the carrier in an optical signal comprising the steps of:

• applying an optically polarized light to an optical circuit;
• splitting said polarized light into a first and second counterpropagating optical light in a Sagnac loop;
• applying an electromagnetic signal comprised of a carrier and sidebands to the counterpropagating optical light signals;
• intensity modulating said first optical light with the electromagnetic signal to produce an intensity modulated optical light;
• shifting the phase of the electromagnetic signal 90°;
• phase modulating said second optical light with the electromagnetic signal 90° out of phase so as to produce an optical signal whose phase modulation is 90° out of phase with the intensity modulation of the other optical signal;
• and
• combining the phase modulated optical signal 180° out of phase with the intensity modulated signal to produce a optical signal with a suppressed carrier.

A wideband single-sideband modulator comprising:

• a polarized light split into a first and second counterpropagating optical light applied an optical loop having an amplitude modulator and phase modulator responsive to the first and second counterpropagating optical light, respectively;
• an electromagnetic signal comprised of a carrier and sidebands applied to the counterpropagating optical light signals;
• said first optical light being modulated by the electromagnetic signal to produce an intensity modulated optical light;
• a phase shifter for shifting the phase of the electromagnetic signal 90°;
• said second optical light being phase modulating light with the phase shifted electromagnetic signal to produce an phase modulated optical signal whose phase modulation is 90° out of phase with the intensity modulation of the other optical signal;
• and
• a combiner for combining the phase modulated optical signal 180° out of phase with the intensity modulated signal to produce a optical signal with a suppressed carrier.