Patent ID: 7295728

Claim:
A wavelength-division multiplexed optical communication system, compnsing: a transmitter configured to provide a plurality of optical signals, each of said optical signals having associated data modulated thereon and having a pulse width less than about 40% of a bit time associated with said data, said transmitter comprising: an optical signal source configured to generate at least one of said optical signals; a data modulator coupled to said optical signal source and configured to modulate said data on said at least one of said optical signals at a data modulation frequency; and an amplitude modulator coupled to said optical signal source and configured to provide a periodic modulation of the intensity of said at least one of said optical signals at an amplitude modulation frequency; a receiver: an optical fiber transmission path coupling said transmitter to said receiver, said transmission path establishing a end-to-end dispersion slope across a range of wavelengths transmitted from said transmitter to said receiver; and at least one dispersion slope compensator configured to compensate for at least a portion of said end-to-end dispersion slope, said at least one dispersion slope compensator being positioned at said transmitter or said receiver.