Optical pulse stretcher for converting RZ optical data to NRZ optical data for a low jitter NRZ transmitter

1. An apparatus for stretching an optical pulse to convert associated optical data from a first format to a second format, comprising:

an optical retiming device adapted to receive said optical pulse with said associated optical data in said second format, wherein said optical retiming device reduces a jitter associated with said optical pulse by converting said associated optical data from said second format to said first format and outputs said optical pulse with said associated optical data in said first format;

a birefringent medium adapted to receive said optical pulse with said associated optical data in said first format and adapted to propagate said optical pulse to convert said associated optical data to said second format, wherein said birefringent medium includes a first principal axis, a second principal axis which is orthogonal to said first principal axis, and a length such that a time difference between propagation along said first principal axis over said length and propagation along said second principal axis over said length is based on a duration of said optical pulse; and

an input coupled to said birefringent medium and adapted to receive said optical pulse with linear polarization at a first angle relative to said first principal axis and at a second angle relative to said second principal axis.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said birefringent medium is an optical fiber.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said optical fiber is a polarization maintaining fiber.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said first angle is approximately 45 degrees and wherein said second angle is approximately 45 degrees.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said time difference is approximately equal to said duration of said optical pulse.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said first format is an optical RZ (return-to-zero) format and wherein said second format is an optical NRZ (non-return-to-zero) format.

7. A system for transmitting optical data, comprising:

an optical data generator adapted to generate a first optical data encoded in a first format;

an optical retiming device adapted to receive said first optical data, wherein said optical retiming device reduces a jitter associated with said first optical data by converting from said first format to a second format and outputs a second optical data encoded in said second format; and

an apparatus adapted to receive said second optical data and to stretch said second optical data to convert from said second format to said first format, comprising:

a birefringent medium adapted to propagate said second optical data, wherein said birefringent medium includes a first principal axis, a second principal axis which is orthogonal to said first principal axis, and a length such that a time difference between propagation along said first principal axis over said length and propagation along said second principal axis over said length is based on a duration of an optical pulse associated with said second optical data; and

an input coupled to said birefringent medium and adapted to receive said second optical data with linear polarization at a first angle relative to said first principal axis and at a second angle relative to said second principal axis.

8. The system as recited in claim 7 wherein said birefringent medium is an optical fiber.

9. The system as recited in claim 8 wherein said optical fiber is a polarization maintaining fiber.

10. The system as recited in claim 7 wherein said first angle is approximately 45 degrees and wherein said second angle is approximately 45 degrees.

11. The system as recited in claim 7 wherein said time difference is approximately equal to said duration of said optical pulse.

12. The system as recited in claim 7 wherein said first format is an optical NRZ (non-return-to-zero) format and wherein said second format is an optical RZ (return-to-zero) format.

13. The system as recited in claim 7 wherein said optical data generator comprises a light source, a modulator adapted to receive light from said light source, a multiplexer coupled to said modulator and adapted to provide electrical data encoded in said first format, and a clock for clocking said multiplexer.

14. The system as recited in claim 7 wherein said optical retiming device comprises a modulator driven by a clock signal such that said modulator operates as an optical AND gate on said first optical data.

15. A method of converting optical data from a first format to a second format, said method comprising:

generating said optical data encoded in said first format, wherein said generating said optical data comprises:

generating an initial optical data encoded in said second format,

optically retiming said initial optical data to reduce jitter such that said initial optical data is converted from said second format to said first format;

inputting said optical data encoded in said first format into a birefringent medium at a particular angle, wherein said birefringent medium includes a first principal axis, a second principal axis which is orthogonal to said first principal axis, and a length such that a time difference between propagation along said first principal axis over said length and propagation along said second principal axis over said length is based on a duration of an optical pulse associated with said optical data encoded in said first format;

propagating said optical data encoded in said first format through said birefringent medium to generate said optical data encoded in said second format at output of said birefringent medium.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein said birefringent medium is an optical fiber.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein said optical fiber is a polarization maintaining fiber.

18. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein said particular angle is approximately 45 degrees relative to said first principal axis and approximately 45 degrees relative to said second principal axis.

19. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein said time difference is approximately equal to said duration of said optical pulse.

20. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein said first format is an optical RZ (return-to-zero) format and wherein said second format is an optical NRZ (non-return-to-zero) format.

21. The method as recited in claim 15 further comprising:

detecting said optical data encoded in said second format using a photodetector.

22. A method of optically reducing jitter, said method comprising:

receiving optical data encoded in a first format and having a first level of jitter at a first optical medium adapted to optically reduce said jitter of said optical data and to convert said optical data encoded in said first format to a second format having a second level of jitter which is lower than said first level of jitter; and

receiving said optical data encoded in said second format at a second optical medium adapted to optically stretch said optical data to convert said optical data encoded in said second format to said first format having a third level of jitter which is no greater than said second level of jitter.

23. The method as recited in claim 22 wherein said first optical medium is an optical retiming device that performs optical pulse carving.

24. The method as recited in claim 23 wherein said optical retiming device is a modulator driven by a clock signal such that said modulator operates as an optical AND gate on said optical data encoded in said first format.

25. The method as recited in claim 22 wherein said second optical medium comprises:

a birefringent medium adapted to propagate said optical data encoded in said second format, wherein said birefringent medium includes a first principal axis, a second principal axis which is orthogonal to said first principal axis, and a length such that a time difference between propagation along said first principal axis over said length and propagation along said second principal axis over said length is based on a duration of an optical pulse associated with said optical data; and

an input coupled to said birefringent medium and adapted to receive said optical data with linear polarization at a first angle relative to said first principal axis and at a second angle relative to said second principal axis.

26. The method as recited in claim 25 wherein said birefringent medium is an optical fiber.

27. The method as recited in claim 26 wherein said optical fiber is a polarization maintaining fiber.

28. The method as recited in claim 25 wherein said first angle is approximately 45 degrees and wherein said second angle is approximately 45 degrees.

29. The method as recited in claim 25 wherein said time difference is approximately equal to said duration of said optical pulse.

30. The method as recited in claim 25 wherein said first format is an optical NRZ (non-return-to-zero) format and wherein said second format is an optical RZ (return-to-zero) format.