Fibre nonlinearity compensation in optical communication systems

Optical communications systems can rapidly transfer data over long distances, and so carry the majority of global internet traffic. However, the maximum speed of a long-distance optical fibre link is limited by distortions resulting from fibre nonlinearity. This thesis developed a device to compensate fibre nonlinearity that is compatible with most optical communications systems. Additionally, these devices can be made from inexpensive optical and electrical components. Computer simulations and laboratory experiments showed that inserting these nonlinearity compensators along a fibre link improved system performance. This research can be used to achieve faster internet connections in the future.