Open AccessMitigation of mode partition noise in quantum-dash Fabry-Perot mode-locked lasers using Manchester encoding and balanced detection
Author(s) -
Mohamed Chaïbi,
Laurent Bramerie,
Sébastien Lobo,
Christophe Peucheret
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.25.016300
Subject(s) - optics , laser , computer science , physics , fabry–pérot interferometer , modulation (music) , noise (video) , acoustics , artificial intelligence , image (mathematics)
We propose the use of Manchester encoding in conjunction with balanced detection to overcome the mode partition noise (MPN) limit of quantum-dash Fabry-Perot mode-locked lasers (QD-MLLs) used as multi-wavelength sources in short-reach applications. The proposed approach is demonstrated for a 10-mode laser, each carrying a 10-Gb/s signal. We show that bit-error-rate floors as high as 10 -4 when traditional non-return-to-zero (NRZ) modulation is employed with a single-ended detection scheme can be pushed below 10 -9 thanks to the introduction of Manchester encoding together with balanced detection. The benefit of the scheme could be attributed to the spectral shift of the Manchester spectrum, resulting in a smaller overlap with the high-relative intensity noise (RIN) region present at low frequencies, and the use of balanced detection. We clarify the origin of the performance improvement through comparisons of single-ended and balanced detection and the use of a RIN emulation technique. We unambiguously show that the use of balanced detection plays the leading role in MPN mitigation enabled by Manchester modulation.