A ONE-WATT, 10-GBPS HIGH-SENSITIVITY OPTICAL COMMUNICATION-SYSTEM

High data rate communications are of interest for many applications. I n fiber-based broadcast systems, high receiver sensitivity and high tr ansmitter power translate into the ability to reach more customers, Fo r space applications, high receiver sensitivity and high optical power are essential since it is impossible to use amplifiers between the tr ansmitter and receiver, We describe here the experimental demonstratio n of a 10-Gbps communications system with a receiver sensitivity of 77 photons/bit at a bit error rate of 10(-9) and a one-watt optical tran smitter based on an erbium-doped fiber amplifier pumped by tapered-gai n-region semiconductor lasers.