A DPSK/DQPSK optical receiver comprising: a) an optical splitter having an input that receives a DPSK/DQPSK modulated optical signal and a plurality of outputs, the optical splitter separating the DPSK/DQPSK modulated optical signal according to a fixed non-equal optical power splitting ratio into a plurality of received optical signals that propagate to the plurality of outputs, the optical power splitting ratio being chosen to reduce signal degradation caused by at least one of chirping, chromatic dispersion, polarization mode dispersion, and spectral narrowing; b) a plurality of optical filters, an input of a respective one of the plurality of optical filters being optically coupled to a respective one of the plurality of outputs of the optical splitter, each of the plurality of optical filters passing a filtered optical signal; c) a plurality of optical detectors, an input of each of the plurality of optical detectors being optically coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of optical filters, so that an input of only one of the plurality of optical detectors is coupled to an output of each of the plurality of optical filters, each of the plurality of optical detectors generating an electrical detection signal related to a power of a respective filtered optical signal; d) a plurality of electrical amplifiers, an output of each of the plurality of optical detectors being electrically coupled to an input of one of the plurality of electrical amplifiers, each of the plurality of electrical amplifiers generating an amplified electrical signal; and e) at least one electrical signal combiner (210; 302) having a plurality of inputs, an output of a respective one of the plurality of electrical amplifiers being electrically connected to a respective one of the plurality of inputs of the at least one electrical combiner, so that each input of the at least one electrical signal combiner receives a signal corresponding to a received optical signal separated by the splitter with the fixed non-equal optical power splitting ratio, the at least one electrical combiner combining the amplified electrical detection signals generated by the plurality of electrical amplifiers into a combined reception signal at an output. a) an optical splitter having an input that receives a DPSK/DQPSK modulated optical signal and a plurality of outputs, the optical splitter separating the DPSK/DQPSK modulated optical signal according to a fixed non-equal optical power splitting ratio into a plurality of received optical signals that propagate to the plurality of outputs, the optical power splitting ratio being chosen to reduce signal degradation caused by at least one of chirping, chromatic dispersion, polarization mode dispersion, and spectral narrowing; b) a plurality of optical filters, an input of a respective one of the plurality of optical filters being optically coupled to a respective one of the plurality of outputs of the optical splitter, each of the plurality of optical filters passing a filtered optical signal; c) a plurality of optical detectors, an input of each of the plurality of optical detectors being optically coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of optical filters, so that an input of only one of the plurality of optical detectors is coupled to an output of each of the plurality of optical filters, each of the plurality of optical detectors generating an electrical detection signal related to a power of a respective filtered optical signal; d) a plurality of electrical amplifiers, an output of each of the plurality of optical detectors being electrically coupled to an input of one of the plurality of electrical amplifiers, each of the plurality of electrical amplifiers generating an amplified electrical signal; and e) at least one electrical signal combiner (210; 302) having a plurality of inputs, an output of a respective one of the plurality of electrical amplifiers being electrically connected to a respective one of the plurality of inputs of the at least one electrical combiner, so that each input of the at least one electrical signal combiner receives a signal corresponding to a received optical signal separated by the splitter with the fixed non-equal optical power splitting ratio, the at least one electrical combiner combining the amplified electrical detection signals generated by the plurality of electrical amplifiers into a combined reception signal at an output.