Effect of laser chirp on optical systems-initial tests using a 1480 nm DFB laser

Initial assessment of the effect of laser “chirp” on optical systems is described. Measurements of the wavelength shift and its effect on the received pulse after 4 km and 80 km of dispersive fibre are presented. The results are in good agreement with simple modelling, which predicts no penalty for this system Further tests are needed to determine whether this behaviour is typical.