Optical fiber transmission system with increased effective modal bandwidth transmission

1. A multi-mode optical fiber link comprising:

a) an optical source comprising a modulator electrically coupled to a bias and data multiplexing circuit, the optical source having an output that is optically coupled to an input of a first single mode optical fiber, the optical source generating an optical signal with relatively low time varying phase and sideband information;

b) a first spatial mode converter having an input that is coupled to the output of the single mode optical fiber, the first spatial mode converter conditioning a modal profile of the optical signal while maintaining the relatively low sideband information;

c) a multi-mode optical fiber having an input that is coupled to an output of the first spatial mode converter; and

d) a second spatial mode converter having an input that is coupled to an output of the multi-mode optical fiber and an output that is coupled to a second single mode optical fiber, the second spatial mode converter reducing a number of optical modes in the optical signal, wherein both the first and the second spatial mode converters increase an effective modal bandwidth of the optical signal while maintaining the relatively low sideband information.

2. The optical fiber link of claim 1 wherein the optical source comprises an intensity modulated optical source.

3. The optical fiber link of claim 1 wherein the optical source comprises an electro-absorption modulated laser.

4. The optical fiber link of claim 1 wherein the optical source comprises an integrated laser modulator.

5. The optical fiber link of claim 1 further comprising a second optical source having an output that is coupled to the input of the single mode optical fiber, the second optical source generating a second optical signal having a second wavelength at the output.

6. The optical fiber link of claim 1 further comprising a second optical source having an output that is coupled to the output of the second spatial mode converter, the second optical source generating a second optical signal having a second wavelength at the output.

7. The optical fiber link of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and the second spatial mode converters comprise a fusion splice between the multi-mode optical fiber and a respective one of the single mode optical fiber and the second single mode optical fiber.

8. The optical fiber link of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and the second spatial mode converters comprises a lens imaging system comprising refractive and diffractive elements.

9. The optical fiber link of claim 1 wherein the first spatial mode converter optically couples the single mode optical fiber to the multi-mode optical fiber so as to achieve a predetermined offset between a core of the single mode optical fiber and a core of the multi-mode optical fiber.

10. The optical fiber link of claim 1 further comprising a third single-mode optical fiber that couples a first and a second segment of the multi-mode optical fiber.

11. A method of increasing effective modal bandwidth of an optical signal transmitting through a multi-mode optical fiber, the method comprising:

e) generating an optical signal using a modulator coupled to a bias and data multiplexing circuit with relatively low time varying phase and sideband information;

f) spatial mode converting the optical signal, thereby reducing modal dispersion and increasing an effective bandwidth of the optical signal while maintaining the relatively low sideband information;

g) propagating the spatially mode converted optical signal through a multi-mode optical fiber; and

h) spatial mode converting the spatially mode converted optical signal propagated through the multi-mode optical fiber while maintaining the relatively low sideband information, thereby further reducing modal dispersion and further increasing the effective bandwidth of the optical signal.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the spatial mode converting at least one of the optical signal and the spatially mode converted optical signal reduces changes in effective modal bandwidth of the optical signal that are caused by thermal variations in the multi-mode optical fiber.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the spatial mode converting at least one of the optical signal and the spatially mode converted optical signal reduces changes in effective modal bandwidth of the optical signal that are caused by polarization effects in the multi-mode optical fiber.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the spatial mode converting at least one of the optical signal and the spatially mode converted optical signal reduces changes in effective modal bandwidth of the optical signal that are caused by mechanical stress in the multi-mode optical fiber.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the spatial mode converting at least one of the optical signal and the spatially mode converted optical signal reduces changes in effective modal bandwidth of the optical signal that are caused by optical fiber splices in the multi-mode optical fiber.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the optical signal comprises more than one optical wavelength.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising selecting a bandwidth of the optical signal to suppress at least one of phase and sideband information.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the generating the optical signal with relatively low time varying phase and sideband information comprises intensity modulating the optical signal.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising selecting an absorption spectrum of the intensity modulation to reduce at least one of phase and sideband information.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising selecting an extinction ratio of the intensity modulation to reduce at least one of phase and sideband information.

21. The method of claim 18 further comprising selecting an absorption coefficient of the intensity modulation to reduce at least one of phase and sideband information.

22. A multi-mode optical communication system comprising:

i) an optical transmitter comprising a modulator electrically coupled to a bias and data multiplexing circuit, the optical transmitter generating an optical signal with relatively low time varying phase and sideband information at an output;

j) a first spatial mode converter having an input that is coupled to the output of the optical transmitter, the first spatial mode converter conditioning a modal profile of the optical signal while maintaining the relatively low sideband information;

k) a multi-mode optical fiber having an input that is coupled to an output of the first spatial mode converter;

l) a second spatial mode converter having an input that is coupled to an output of the multi-mode optical fiber, the second spatial mode converter reducing a number of optical modes in the optical signal, wherein both the first and the second spatial mode converters increase an effective modal bandwidth of the optical signal while maintaining the relatively low sideband information; and

m) an optical receiver having an input that is coupled to an output of the second spatial mode converter, the optical receiver receiving the optical signal transmitted through the second spatial mode converter.

23. The communication system of claim 22 wherein the optical transmitter comprises an electro-absorption modulated laser.

24. The communication system of claim 22 wherein the optical transmitter comprises an integrated laser modulator.

25. The communication system of claim 22 wherein the optical signal generated by the optical transmitter comprising more than one optical wavelength.

26. The communication system of claim 22 further comprising a single-mode optical fiber that couples a first and a second segment of the multi-mode optical fiber.

27. The communication system of claim 22 wherein the optical receiver comprises an active filter that reconstructs dispersed optical signals received by the optical receiver.

28. The communication system of claim 22 wherein the optical receiver automatically adjusts at least one receiver parameter in order to compensate for changes in an average power of the received optical signal.

29. The communication system of claim 22 wherein the optical receiver automatically adjusts at least one receiver parameter so as to maintain a substantially constant bit error rate as the average power of the received optical signal changes.

30. The communication system of claim 29 wherein the at least one receiver parameter comprises receiver sensitivity.