Dependence of optical receiver sensitivity, in a 147-Mbit/s heterodyne DPSK system, as a function of optical and electrical parameter variations

Measurements of the changes in optical receiver sensitivity are described. They are caused by (a) the effect of bandpass and low-pass filtering, (b) the dependence on integer and noninteger values of the intermediate-frequency-to-bit-rate ratio, (c) the influence of the local oscillator power, and (d) the impact of deviation from ideal pi phase-shift modulation. The studies were conducted at lambda =1.523 mu m and at a bit rate of 147.75 Mb/s, using external-cavity lasers with negligible phase noise. The results demonstrate the conditions for optimum DPSK system performance in the absence of laser phase noise. The receiver degradation observed for deviations from optimal electrical and optical conditions have been measured and found to be in good agreement with earlier theoretical calculations of microwave phase modulated schemes.<>