Patent ID: 7200344
Filing Date: 2007-04-03
Classification: H04B,H04J

Abstract:
1. A method for processing information in a receiver of a multichannel optical communication system, comprising: receiving a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) signal having a symbol rate and comprising a plurality of phase modulated optical information signals having a minimum channel spacing that is greater than (N+0.4)B and less than (N+0.6)B, where B comprises the symbol rate of the WDM signal and N is an integer; demultiplexing the phase modulated optical information signals from the WDM signal; converting each of the phase modulated optical information signals to an intensity modulated optical information signal using an asymmetric interferometer, wherein the asymmetric interferometer comprises two interferometer paths having a path length difference operable to create a one symbol period shift in the optical information signal and wherein the asymmetric interferometer has a wavelength dependent loss that increases the rejection of neighboring channels of the WDM signal when the channel spacing of the signal is greater than (N+0.4)B and less than (N+0.6)B; and recovering a data signal from the intensity modulated optical information signal.