Synchronous in-line regeneration of wavelength-division multiplexed solitons signals in optical fibers

A new synchronization technique for simultaneous in-line modulation and regeneration of wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) soliton signals in optical fibers is proposed. A specific wavelength-mapping rule makes synchronization compatible with frequency-guiding Fabry-Perot filters. As an example, a 4 X 10 Gbit/s WDM regenerated soliton system is demonstrated numerically. We also show that the technique is fully compatible with dispersion management, which alleviates detrimental WDM collisions. Thus the possibility of combining wavelength-division multiplexing and regeneration opens up new perspectives for ultrahigh-bit-rate transoceanic soliton systems. (C) 1996 Optical Society of America