Self-phase-modulation-limited transmission distance of repeaterless 1.55 mu m multi-channel AM-VSB external modulation systems

Abstract

The repeaterless transmission distance of a 1.55 mu m external modulation system using an erbium-doped fiber power amplifier is generally believed to be limited by stimulated-Brillouin-scattering (SBS). In this paper, by using both analytical and numerical methods, we find that even when the SBS threshold can be increased well beyond similar to 24 mW, the maximum repeaterless transmission distance will still be limited by self-phase-modulation (SPM)-induced CSOs. Our analysis is based on the nonlinear amplitude envelope equation in a lossy, dispersive and nonlinear single-mode-fiber (SMF) link at 1.55 mu m, and our numerical approach uses split-step Fourier method.