Method and apparatus for bias and alignment control in an optical signal transmitter

1. An apparatus for transmitting an optical signal, said apparatus comprising:

a modulator for modulating data on an optical signal with a modulation format having a periodic intensity modulation and a differential phase shift keying (DPSK) data modulation, said modulator comprising a Mach-Zehnder RZ modulator for imparting said periodic intensity modulation in response to a RZ bias signal, and a Mach-Zehnder NRZ modulator for imparting said DPSK data modulation in response to a NRZ bias signal;

a phase shifter for selectively aligning said periodic intensity modulation and said data modulation in response to a phase bias signal;

a low speed photo-detector, said low speed photo-detector having a bandwidth of at least one order of magnitude less than a data rate of said data and being configured to detect light scattered at an output of said NRZ modulator and provide an output representative of power in said light scattered at said output of said NRZ modulator; and

a controller for providing at least one of said RZ bias signal, said NRZ bias signal, or said phase bias signal, in response to said output of said low speed photodetector.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said controller is configured for providing said phase bias signal in response to said output of said low speed photodetector.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said controller is configured for providing said RZ bias signal in response to said output of said low speed photodetector.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said controller is configured for providing said RZ bias signal and said NRZ bias signal in response to said output of said low speed photodetector.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said controller is configured for providing each of said RZ bias signal, said NRZ bias signal, and said phase bias signal in response to said output of said low speed photodetector.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said periodic intensity modulation is a return-to-zero (RZ) intensity modulation.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an input of said Mach-Zehnder NRZ modulator is coupled to an output of said Mach-Zehnder RZ modulator, and wherein an output of said Mach-Zehnder NRZ modulator is provided as said output of said modulator.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said phase shifter is coupled to said Mach-Zehnder RZ modulator for selectively aligning said periodic intensity modulation with said data modulation.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said phase shifter comprises an electrical variable delay circuit.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said controller is configured for providing said phase bias signal in response to said output of said low speed photodetector, and wherein said phase bias signal comprises a low frequency phase bias dither, said low frequency phase bias dither having a frequency at least one order of magnitude less than said data rate.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein said controller provides said phase bias signal in response to a phase bias error value obtained by mixing a signal representative of said output of said photodetector with a signal representative of said phase bias dither.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said controller is configured to adjust said phase bias signal to minimize said phase bias error value.

13. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said controller is configured for providing said RZ bias signal in response to said output of said low speed photodetector, and wherein said RZ bias signal comprises a low frequency RZ bias dither, said low frequency RZ bias dither having a frequency at least one order of magnitude less than said data rate.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein said controller provides said RZ bias signal in response to a RZ bias error value obtained by mixing a signal representative of said output of said photodetector with a signal representative of said RZ bias dither.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein said controller is configured to adjust said RZ bias signal to minimize said RZ bias error value.

16. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said a controller is configured for providing said NRZ bias signal in response to said output of said low speed photodetector, and wherein said NRZ bias signal comprises a low frequency NRZ bias dither, said low frequency NRZ bias dither having a frequency at least one order of magnitude less than said data rate.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein said controller provides said NRZ bias signal in response to a NRZ bias error value obtained by mixing a signal. representative of said output of said photodetector with a signal representative of said NRZ bias dither.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein said controller is configured to adjust said NRZ bias signal to minimize said NRZ bias error value.

19. An apparatus for transmitting an optical signal, said apparatus comprising:

a modulator for modulating data on an optical signal with a modulation format having a periodic intensity modulation and a differential phase shift keying (DPSK) data modulation, said modulator comprising a Mach-Zehnder RZ modulator for imparting said periodic intensity modulation in response to a RZ bias signal, and a Mach-Zehnder NRZ modulator for imparting said DPSK data modulation in response to a NRZ bias signal;

a phase shifter for selectively aligning said periodic intensity modulation and said data modulation in response to a phase bias signal;

a low speed photo-detector, said low speed photo-detector having a bandwidth of at least one order of magnitude less than a data rate of said data and being configured to detect light scattered at an output of said NRZ modulator and provide an output representative of power in said light scattered at said output of said NRZ modulator; and

a controller for providing said RZ bias signal, said NRZ bias signal, and said phase bias signal in response to said output of said low speed photodetector, said RZ bias signal comprising a low frequency RZ bias dither, said NRZ bias signal comprising a low frequency NRZ bias dither, and said phase bias signal comprising a low frequency phase bias dither, each of said RZ bias dither, said NRZ bias dither, and said phase bias dither having an associated frequency at least one order of magnitude less than said data rate,

said controller being configured to provide said RZ bias signal in response to a RZ bias error value obtained by mixing a signal representative of said output of said photodetector with a signal representative of said RZ bias dither,

said controller being configured to provide said NRZ bias signal in response to a NRZ bias error value obtained by mixing said signal representative of said output of said photodetector with a signal representative of said NRZ bias dither, and

said controller being configured to provide said phase bias signal in response to a phase bias error value obtained by mixing said signal representative of said output of said photodetector with a signal representative of said phase bias dither.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein said periodic intensity modulation is a return-to-zero (RZ) intensity modulation.

21. An apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein an input of said Mach-Zehnder NRZ modulator is coupled to an output of said Mach-Zehnder RZ modulator, and wherein an output of said Mach-Zehnder NRZ modulator is provided as said output of said modulator.

22. An apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein said phase shifter is coupled to said Mach-Zehnder RZ modulator for selectively aligning said periodic intensity modulation with said data modulation.

23. An apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein said phase shifter comprises an electrical variable delay circuit.

24. An apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein said controller is configured to adjust said phase bias signal to minimize said phase bias error value.

25. An apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein said controller is configured to adjust said RZ bias signal to minimize said RZ bias error value.

26. An apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein said controller is configured to adjust said NRZ bias signal to minimize said NRZ bias error value.

27. An apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein said associated frequencies of said RZ bias dither, said NRZ bias dither, and said phase bias dither are different from each other.

28. An apparatus according to claim 27 , wherein said associated frequencies are not integer multiples of each other.

29. A method of operating a modulator for modulating data on an optical signal with a modulation format having a periodic intensity modulation and a differential phase shift keying (DPSK) data modulation, said modulator comprising a Mach-Zehnder RZ modulator for imparting said periodic intensity modulation in response to a RZ bias signal, and a Mach-Zehnder NRZ modulator for imparting said DPSK data modulation in response to a NRZ bias signal, and having a phase shifter coupled thereto for selectively aligning said periodic intensity modulation and said data modulation in response to a phase bias signal, said method comprising:

detecting power in light scattered at an output of said modulator using a low speed photo-detector, said low speed photo-detector having a bandwidth of at least one order of magnitude less than a data rate of said data and being configured to provide an output representative of power at said output of said modulator; and

providing at least one of said phase bias signal, said RZ bias signal, or said NRZ bias signal in response to said output of said low speed photodetector.

30. A method according to claim 29 , said method comprising providing said phase bias signal in response to said output of said low speed photodetector.

31. A method according to claim 29 , said method comprising providing said RZ bias signal in response to said output of said low speed photodetector.

32. A method according to claim 29 , said method comprising providing said RZ bias signal and said NRZ bias signal in response to said output of said low speed photodetector.

33. A method according to claim 29 , said method comprising providing each of said RZ bias signal, said NRZ bias signal, and said phase bias signal in response to said output of said low speed photodetector.

34. A method according to claim 29 , said method comprising providing said phase bias signal in response to said output of said low speed photodetector, and wherein said phase bias signal comprises a low frequency phase bias dither, said low frequency phase bias dither having a frequency at least one order of magnitude less than said data rate.

35. A method according to claim 34 , said method comprising providing said phase bias signal in response to a phase bias error value obtained by mixing a signal representative of said output of said photodetector with a signal representative of said phase bias dither.

36. A method according to claim 35 , said method further comprising adjusting said phase bias signal to minimize said phase bias error value.

37. A method according to claim 29 , said method comprising providing said RZ bias signal in response to said output of said low speed photodetector, and wherein said RZ bias signal comprises a low frequency RZ bias dither, said low frequency RZ bias dither having a frequency at least one order of magnitude less than said data rate.

38. A method according to claim 37 , said method comprising providing said RZ bias signal in response to a RZ bias error value obtained by mixing a signal representative of said output of said photodetector with a signal representative of said RZ bias dither.

39. A method according to claim 38 , said method further comprising adjusting said RZ bias signal to minimize said RZ bias error value.

40. A method according to claim 29 , said method comprising providing said NRZ bias signal in response to said output of said low speed photodetector, and wherein said NRZ bias signal comprises a low frequency NRZ bias dither, said low frequency NRZ bias dither having a frequency at least one order of magnitude less than said data rate.

41. A method according to claim 40 , said method comprising providing said NRZ bias signal in response to a NRZ bias error value obtained by mixing a signal representative of said output of said photodetector with a signal representative of said NRZ bias dither.

42. A method according to claim 41 , said method further comprising adjusting said NRZ bias signal to minimize said NRZ bias error value.