Patent ID: 8325410

Claim:
A modulation system for generating a return-to-zero (RZ) optical data signal, comprising: a Mach-Zehnder (MZ) modulator for generating the RZ optical data signal in response to an RZ electrical drive signal; and a drive circuit, electrically connected to the MZ modulator, for generating the RZ electrical drive signal, and for driving the MZ modulator with the RZ electrical drive signal, comprising: i) a logic XOR gate for receiving a non-return-to-zero (NRZ) electrical data signal and an inverse of an electrical clock signal, and for applying a logic XOR operation to the NRZ electrical data signal and the inverse of the electrical clock signal to generate an electrical intermediate signal; and ii) a differential amplifier, electrically connected to the logic XOR gate and to the MZ modulator, for receiving the electrical intermediate signal and an inverse of the NRZ electrical data signal, and for differentially amplifying the electrical intermediate signal and the inverse of the NRZ electrical data signal to generate the RZ electrical drive signal.