The very broad bandwidth of low-loss optical transmission in a single-mode fiber and the recent improvements in single-frequency tunable lasers have stimulated significant advances in dense wavelength division multiplexed optical networks This technology, including wavelength-sensitive optical switching and routing elements and passive optical elements, has made it possible to consider the use of wavelength as another dimension, in addition to time and space, in network and switch design The independence of optical signals at different wavelengths makes this a natural choice for multiple-access networks, for applications which benefit from shared transmission media, and for networks in which very large throughputs are required Recent progress in multiwavelength networks are reviewed, some of the limitations which affect the performance of such networks are discussed, and examples of several network and switch proposals based on these ideas are presented Discussed also are critical technologies that are essential to progress in this field >

Dense wavelength division multiplexing networks: principles and applications

Differential-phase-shift keying (DPSK) has recently been used to reach record distances in long-haul lightwave communication systems. This paper will review theoretical, as well as implementation, aspects of DPSK, and discuss experimental results.

Optical phase-shift-keyed transmission

A model for the shape of optical fiber tapers, formed by stretching a fiber in a heat source of varying length, is presented. Simple assumptions avoid any need for the techniques of fluid mechanics. It is found that any decreasing shape of taper can be produced. The procedure for calculating the hot-zone length variation required to produce a given shape of taper is described, and is used to indicate how an optical adiabatic taper can be made. A traveling burner tapering system is capable of realizing the model's prediction, and a complete practical procedure for the formation of fiber tapers with any reasonable shape is thus presented. >

The shape of fiber tapers

An overview of emerging all-optical networks is given. The characteristics and alternative architectures for single-hop systems are discussed. The characteristics of lightwave technology that facilitate the design of wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) networks are reviewed, and it is explained how WDM local networks can be built based on the single-hop and multihop approaches. Various categories of single-hop systems are discussed: experimental systems, systems based on no pretransmission coordination, and systems based on pretransmission coordination, which also require a separate control channel. A simple classification for single-hop systems is provided. >

WDM-based local lightwave networks. I. Single-hop systems

The generation wave efficiency with respect to phase mismatch in the four-wave mixing process is clarified experimentally in a single-mode fiber transmission line at 825 nm wavelength. The generated power of approximately 20 pW is measured successfully for input signal powers below 1 mW by the technique utilizing a heterodyne receiver and lock-in detector. The calculated efficiency as a function of the equivalent frequency separation can well explain and reflect the results obtained experimentally. Furthermore, the efficiency at zero chromatic dispersion wavelengths of 1.3 and 1.55 μm is also discussed considering chromatic dispersion slope against wavelength.

Phase-mismatch dependence of efficiency of wave generation through four-wave mixing in a single-mode optical fiber

The practicability of using phase modulation in a 16 channel 10 Gbit/s system over 1600 km of standard SMF with simple dispersion compensation and the robustness in presence of ASK modulated channels has been shown for the first time.

Robustness of DPSK direct detection transmission format in standard fibre WDM systems

We report the manufacturing and measurement of a fibre micro-ring absorption resonator for λ =1.55 μm with a biconical reduced fibre diameter down to 8.5 μm. The small ring diameter of 2 mm exhibits a large FSR of 30 GHz. From the optical frequency response a finesse of 4.7 and an insertion loss of l.2 dB were measured and the power coupling coefficient was calculated to be 0.28. To our knowledge, this is the smallest optical ring resonator reported so far.

Fibre-optic micro-ring-resonator with 2 mm diameter

A laboratory ten-channel coherent fibre-optic broadband transmission system is reported. The frequency-division-multiplexed optical carriers are separated by 6 GHz and are demultiplexed by a tunable heterodyne receiver having a sensitivity of -46 dBm at a bit error rate of 10-9. In this system a maximum number of 64 channels can be installed.

Ten-channel coherent optical fibre transmission

A laboratory bidirectional four-channel broadband coherent-type fibre-optic subscriber line (3.5 km) is reported. The carriers are centre-frequency-stabilised by a ‘heterodyne spectroscope’ and demultiplexed by a tunable heterodyne receiver. In a very special state of the system, BER increases for nonlinear interaction between two counterpropagating narrowband lightwaves because of Brillouin scattering.

Coherent optical-fibre subscriber line

A heterodyne-type fiber-optic television transmission is reported. The setup consists of a semiconductor transmission laser, a polarization maintaining fiber, and a heterodyne receiver with a local laser, fiber coupler, and an avalanche photodiode. Further, an interference experiment between two coherent optical channels was performed.

E.-J. Bachus

Papers

Robustness of DPSK direct detection transmission format in standard fibre WDM systems

Fibre-optic micro-ring-resonator with 2 mm diameter

Ten-channel coherent optical fibre transmission

Coherent optical-fibre subscriber line

Digital transmission of TV signals with a fiber-optic heterodyne transmission system