An apparatus comprising a transmitter configured to generate an optical signal comprising a carrier modulated with at least two sidebands modulated with information, wherein the information introduces a separation gap in a frequency domain between the sidebands and the carrier, wherein one of the sidebands is an undesired sideband and another one of the sidebands is a desired sideband with a higher power intensity than the undesired sideband. A method comprising receiving an optical carrier from a light source and modulating the optical carrier with at least two sidebands modulated with information, wherein the information introduces a separation gap in a frequency domain between the sidebands and the optical carrier, wherein one of the sidebands is an undesired sideband and another one of the sidebands is a desired sideband having a higher power intensity than the undesired sideband.