An optical system having an optical fiber path suitable for propagating an
optical signal at least in a first direction, and a plurality M of
optical amplifiers disposed along the optical fiber path so as to divide
the optical fiber path in N spans of optical fiber. The spans of optical
fiber all have substantially a length L.sub.amp and have at least one
transmission optical fiber having an effective length L.sub.eff. An
optical phase conjugation device is associated to one of the amplifiers
of the plurality of amplifiers and is disposed in combination with a
dispersion compensator. The compensator is disposed upstream from the
amplifier associated to the optical phase conjugation device and is
adapted for introducing an accumulated dispersion such as to
substantially compensate the dispersion accumulated in a portion having a
length (L.sub.amp-L.sub.eff) of the span immediately upstream from the
amplifier associated to the optical phase conjugation device.