OPTICAL RECEIVING METHOD UTILIZING POLARIZATION DIVERSITY AND APPARATUS FOR CARRYING OUT THE SAME

摘要

An optical receiving method utilizing polarization diversity is disclosed in which first and second reference lightwaves having different frequencies and having polarization planes substantially perpendicular to each other, are combined with a signal lightwave to form a combined lightwave, the combined lightwave is subjected to heterodyne detection to obtain a detection signal, the detection signal is separated into first and second intermediate-frequency signals having different carrier frequencies, the first and second intermediate-frequency signals are converted into first and second baseband signals, respectively, and the first and second baseband signals are added to obtain an output signal.