Methods and apparatus for spectrally efficient optical modulation

Different techniques for generating spectrally efficient carrier-suppressed modulated optical signals, also known as "phase-shaped binary transmission" (PSBT) signals, employ electrical components that generate only 2-level or binary signals, in contrast to techniques that require 3-level electrical drivers. The PSBT modulators can be used with return-to-zero (RZ) modulators for generating RZ-PSBT signals, which have the characteristic of even greater spectral efficiency than NRZ PSBT signals. The technique is generalized to RZ signals with an arbitrary phase difference between pulses. These signals can be generated by shifting the central (carrier) frequency of an RZ modulated optical signal, which can be done using a certain phase modulation or using spectral filtering with a passband offset from the center (carrier) frequency of the modulated optical signal, and the signals can also be generated by phase modulation at a frequency lower than the signaling rate of the modulated signal.