Optical communication system and method using a nonlinear reversible code for probablistic constellation shaping

1. A system comprising:

a nonlinear reversible code encoder configured to receive a number, i, of information bits and apply a nonlinear reversible code to provide an associated encoded output in response to the i information bits, the encoded output comprising a number, i+c, of encoded bits;

a mapper coupled to the nonlinear reversible code encoder and configured to receive the encoded output, the mapper being configured to map at least the i+c encoded bits to successive amplitude and phase-shift keying (APSK) symbols, each of the APSK symbols having an APSK modulation format with an associated constellation, the mapper configured to map each of the symbols to an associated constellation location of the constellation in response to one or more associated ones of the i+c encoded bits; and

a modulator coupled to the mapper and configured to modulate an optical signal in response to an output of the mapper to provide a modulated optical signal.

2. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the nonlinear reversible code encoder comprises a lookup table for providing the encoded output in response to the i information bits.

3. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the i+c encoded bits have a predetermined probability of having a digital zero value that is greater than a predetermined probability of the i+c encoded bits having a digital one value.

4. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the APSK modulation format has a circular constellation.

5. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the associated constellation location is an associated ring of the constellation.

6. A system according to claim 1 , the system further comprising at least one forward error correction (FEC) encoder for encoding the i information bits with at least one FEC code.

7. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the mapper is further configured to receive a second number, n, of information bits and the mapper is configured to map the n information bits and the i+c encoded bits to the successive APSK symbols.

8. A system according to claim 7 , the system further comprising at least one forward error correction (FEC) encoder for encoding the i information bits and the n information bits with at least one FEC code.

9. A system comprising:

a nonlinear reversible code encoder configured to receive a number, i, of information bits, the nonlinear reversible code encoder comprising a lookup table for apply a nonlinear reversible code to provide an associated encoded output in response to the i information bits, the encoded output comprising a number, i+c, of encoded bits;

a mapper coupled to the nonlinear reversible code encoder and configured to receive a second number, n, of information bits and the encoded output, the mapper being configured to map the n information bits and the i+c encoded bits to successive amplitude and phase-shift keying (APSK) symbols, each of the APSK symbols having an APSK modulation format with an associated circular constellation, the mapper configured to map each of the symbols to an associated ring of the constellation in response to one or more associated ones of the i+c encoded bits; and

a modulator coupled to the mapper and configured to modulate an optical signal in response to an output of the mapper to provide a modulated optical signal.

10. A system according to claim 9 , wherein the i+c encoded bits have a predetermined probability of having a digital zero value that is greater than a predetermined probability of the i+c encoded bits having a digital one value.

11. A system according to claim 9 , the system further comprising at least one forward error correction (FEC) encoder for encoding the i information bits and the n information bits with at least one FEC code.

12. A method comprising:

receiving a number, i, of information bits;

applying a nonlinear reversible code to provide an associated encoded output in response to the i information bits, the encoded output comprising i+c encoded bits,

mapping at least the i+c encoded bits to successive amplitude and phase-shift keying (APSK) symbols, each of the APSK symbols having an APSK modulation format with an associated constellation, whereby each of the symbols are mapped to an associated constellation location of the constellation in response to one or more associated ones of the i+c encoded bits; and

modulating an optical signal to provide a modulated output signal representative of the mapped output.

13. A method according to claim 12 , wherein the applying a nonlinear reversible code comprises using a lookup table for providing the encoded output in response to the i information bits.

14. A method according to claim 12 , wherein the i+c encoded bits have a predetermined probability of having a digital zero value that is greater than a predetermined probability of the i+c encoded bits having a digital one value.

15. A method according to claim 12 , wherein the APSK modulation format has a circular constellation.

16. A method according to claim 12 , wherein the associated constellation location is an associated ring of the constellation.

17. A method according to claim 12 , the method further comprising encoding the i information bits with at least one FEC code.

18. A method according to claim 12 , wherein the method further comprising receiving a second number, n, of information bits and wherein the mapping comprises mapping the n information bits and the i+c encoded bits to the successive APSK symbols.

19. A method according to claim 18 , the method further comprising encoding the i information bits and the n information bits with at least one FEC code.