Theoretical analysis of heterodyne optical receivers for transmission systems using (semiconductor) lasers with nonnegligible linewidth

We present a general theoretical model of receivers for coherent optical communication systems where transmitters and local oscillators having nonzero linewidth are used. Key issues in the model are the concept of single realization measurements of a stochastic intermediate frequency, and development of the probability density function for this stochastic process. Analytical results are derived for heterodyne ASK and dual filter FSK receivers and include the shot-noise limit, the asymptotic error-probability limits in ASK and FSK receivers, the influence of the IF on receiver noise, and the effective local oscillator strength. Detailed numerical results for typical p-i-n-FET wide-band receivers illustrate the influence on receiver sensitivity of IF filter bandwidth and relative threshold setting in ASK systems and of modulation index and IF filter bandwidth in FSK systems. A receiver sensitivity penalty for nonzero linewidth is found to be, for IF linewidths of 0.1 to 0.3 of the bit-rate, 3 to 9 dB in optimum ASK receivers, and 2 to 8 dB in optimum FSK receivers. Thus DFB lasers of linewidth 5 to 20 MHz could be used without external cavities in simple systems with near-ideal performance, which could find application wherever the great multiplexing advantage of coherent systems is a prime advantage. We present some guidelines for system design based on the results of this work.