Method and apparatus for pulse generation and adaptive pulse generation for optical communications

1. An apparatus for producing optical pulses for use to improve a Q-factor of a transmission link, comprising:

a light source configured to produce an optical signal; and

a pulse generator coupled to the light source, the pulse generator configured to receive, for a first channel, the optical signal and a clock signal, the pulse generator configured to modify the optical signal based on the clock signal to produce an optical pulse having a predetermined pulse shape, the clock signal being associated with the predetermined pulse shape, the predetermined pulse shape being based on a transmission characteristic of the transmission link; wherein the light source is a comb generator configured to produce the optical signal having a first spectral component, a second spectral component and a third spectral component associated with the first channel;

the pulse generator includes a demultiplexer, a modulator and a multiplexer, the demultiplexer being coupled to the light source and the modulator, the modulator being coupled to the multiplexer;

the demultiplexer is configured to send the first spectral component of the optical signal to the modulator and to send the second spectral component and the third spectral component of the optical signal to the multiplexer;

the modulator is configured to modify the first spectral component of the optical signal; and

the multiplexer is configured to combine the modified first spectral component of the optical signal, the second spectral component and the third spectral component of the optical signal for the first channel to produce the optical pulse.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein: the pulse generator located at the transmitter side is configured to receive a second optical signal awl a second clock signal, the second optical signal is received subsequent to the optical signal, the second clock signal is based on an error signal associated with the first optical pulse after being transmitted over the transmission link and the predetermined pulse shape.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising: a data modulator coupled to the pulse generator, the modulator configured to receive a data signal, the data modulator configured to phase modulate the optical signal or the optical pulse based on the data signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein: the data modulator is configured to modulate the optical signal or the optical pulse based on the data signal according to phase-shift keying (PSK), and the first channel is a wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) channel from a plurality of WDM channels, each WDM channel from the plurality of WDM channels being associated with its own modulation signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein: the data modulator is configured to modulate the optical signal or the optical pulse based on the data signal according to differential phase-shift keying (DPSK), and the first channel is a wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) channel from a plurality of WDM channels, each WDM channel from the plurality of WDM channels being associated with its own modulation signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising: a data modulator coupled to the pulse generator, the modulator configured to receive a data signal, the modulator configured to amplitude modulate the optical signal or the optical pulse based on the data signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein: the data modulator is configured to modulate the optical signal or the optical pulse based on the data signal according to on-off keying (OOK), and the first channel is a wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) channel from a plurality of WDM channels, each WDM channel from the plurality of WDM channels being associated with its own modulation signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein: the first channel is an optical-time-division multiplexed (OTDM) channel from a plurality of OTDM channels, each OTDM channel from the plurality of OTDM channels being associated with its own optical pulse and its own modulation signal.

9. An apparatus for producing optical pulses for use to improve a Q-factor of a transmission link, comprising:

a light source configured to produce an optical signal; and

a pulse generator coupled to the light source, the pulse generator configured to receive, for a first channel, the optical signal and a clock signal, the pulse generator configured to modify the optical signal based on the clock signal to produce an optical pulse having a predetermined pulse shape, the clock signal being associated with the predetermined pulse shape, the predetermined pulse shape being based on a transmission characteristic of the transmission link; wherein

the light source is a comb generator configured to produce the optical signal having a first spectral component, a second spectral component and a third spectral component associated with the first channel;

the pulse generator includes a demultiplexer, a modulator and a multiplexer, the demultiplexer being coupled to the light source and the modulator, the modulator being coupled to the multiplexer;

the demultiplexer is configured to send the first spectral component of the optical signal to the modulator and to send the second spectral component and the third spectral component of the optical signal to the multiplexer;

the modulator is configured to modify the first spectral component of the optical signal; and

the multiplexer is configured to combine tho modified first spectral component of the optical signal, the second spectral component and the third spectral component of the optical signal for the first channel to produce the optical pulse; wherein:

the optical signal includes a plurality of spectral components associated with a second channel.