A communication system includes an optical receiver that receives a modulated optical signal and converts same back to electrical form by a photodiode. The photodiode includes an optical input and a dc bias input, and outputs a photocurrent. The optical communication system includes a photodiode linear operation point feedback loop communicating with the photodiode based on an intermodulation distortion contour plot corresponding to the photodiode. The intermodulation distortion contour plot includes a plurality of linear operation points for the photodiode. The photodiode linear operation point feedback loop operates the photodiode at a respective operation point of the plurality of linear operation points. Optionally, the photodiode linear operation point feedback loop includes a voltage-biasing feedback loop receiving the photocurrent and outputting to the dc bias input a bias voltage based on the intermodulation distortion contour plot, and/or an optical power regulating feedback loop communicating with the optical input.