The next-generation passive optical network stage 2 (NG-PON2) effort was initiated by the full service access network (FSAN) in 2011 to investigate on upcoming technologies enabling a bandwidth increase beyond 10 Gb/s in the optical access network. The FSAN meeting in April 2012 selected the time- and wavelength-division multiplexed passive optical network (TWDM-PON) as a primary solution to NG-PON2. In this paper, we summarize the TWDM-PON research in FSAN by reviewing the basics of TWDM-PON and presenting the world's first full-system 40 Gb/s TWDM-PON prototype. After introducing the TWDM-PON architecture, we explore TWDM-PON wavelength plan options to meet the NG-PON2 requirements. TWDM-PON key technologies and their respective level of development are further discussed to investigate its feasibility and availability. The first full-system 40 Gb/s TWDM-PON prototype is demonstrated to provide 40 Gb/s downstream and 10 Gb/s upstream bandwidth. This full prototype system offers 38 dB power budget and supports 20 km distance with a 1:512 split ratio. It coexists with commercially deployed Gigabit PON (G-PON) and 10 Gigabit PON (XG-PON) systems. The operator-vendor joint test results testify that TWDM-PON is achievable by the reuse and integration of commercial devices and components.

Time- and Wavelength-Division Multiplexed Passive Optical Network (TWDM-PON) for Next-Generation PON Stage 2 (NG-PON2)

We explore the dynamical response of dissipative Kerr solitons to changes in pump power and detuning and show how thermal and nonlinear processes couple these parameters to the frequency-comb degrees of freedom. Our experiments are enabled by a Pound-Drever-Hall (PDH) stabilization approach that provides on-demand, radio-frequency control of the frequency comb. PDH locking not only guides Kerr-soliton formation from a cold microresonator but opens a path to decouple the repetition and carrier-envelope-offset frequencies. In particular, we demonstrate phase stabilization of both Kerr-comb degrees of freedom to a fractional frequency precision below 10^{-16}, compatible with optical-time-keeping technology. Moreover, we investigate the fundamental role that residual laser-resonator detuning noise plays in the spectral purity of microwave generation with Kerr combs.

https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=924061

Thermal and Nonlinear Dissipative-Soliton Dynamics in Kerr-Microresonator Frequency Combs.

A laser phase and frequency noise measurement method by an unbalanced Michelson interferometer composed of a 3 × 3 optical fiber coupler is proposed. The relations and differences of the power spectral density (PSD) of differential phase and frequency fluctuation, PSD of instantaneous phase and frequency fluctuation, phase noise and linewidth are derived strictly and discussed carefully. The method obtains the noise features of a narrow linewidth laser conveniently without any specific assumptions or noise models. The technique is also used to characterize the noise features of a narrow linewidth external-cavity semiconductor laser, which confirms the correction and robustness of the method.

Laser phase and frequency noise measurement by Michelson interferometer composed of a 3 × 3 optical fiber coupler.

We report on a laser frequency sweep linearization method by iterative learning pre-distortion for frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems. A pre-distorted laser drive voltage waveform that results in a linear frequency sweep is obtained by an iterative learning controller, and then applied to the FMCW LiDAR system. We have also derived a fundamental figure of merit for the maximum residual nonlinearity needed to achieve the transform-limited range resolution. This method is experimentally tested using a commercial vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) and a distributed feedback (DFB) laser, achieving less than 0.005% relative residual nonlinearity of frequency sweep. With the proposed method, high-performance FMCW LiDAR systems can be realized without expensive linear lasers, complex linearization setups, or heavy post-processing.

Laser frequency sweep linearization by iterative learning pre-distortion for FMCW LiDAR.

A high spatial resolution phase-sensitive optical time domain reflectometer (ϕ-OTDR) with an optical frequency-swept pulse (FSP) is proposed, and the experimental results are presented in the Letter. The FSP ϕ-OTDR uses optical pulses with linear frequency modulation with higher pulse energy for longer sensing fiber and uses matched filter in the receiver to compress the processed pulse width. Thus, the contradiction between spatial resolution and the working distance in ordinary ϕ-OTDR is relaxed. A spatial resolution of 30 cm, a sensing distance of 19.8 km, and a signal-to-noise ratio of 10 dB for vibration sensing were obtained experimentally. To our best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a sub-meter spatial resolution over such a long sensing range has been reported in ϕ-OTDR sensors.

High spatial resolution phase-sensitive optical time domain reflectometer with a frequency-swept pulse

A simple and low-cost 1550 nm semiconductor laser with subkilohertz intrinsic linewidth is experimentally demonstrated. A commercial distributed feedback diode laser is self-injection locked to the resonance transmission peaks of a fiber Bragg grating Fabry-Perot cavity through a polarization-maintaining fiber ring with the optical path length of 4 m, with the laser frequency noise suppressed by over 70 dB in the Fourier frequency band from 5 Hz and 1 kHz. The laser features an intrinsic Lorentzian linewidth of 125 Hz as well as a relative intensity noise of <-142 dBc/Hz above 2 MHz, and provides over 0.8 nm quasi-continuous tunability, which is suitable for advanced applications requiring a narrow linewidth laser with ultralow frequency noise.

Subkilohertz linewidth reduction of a DFB diode laser using self-injection locking with a fiber Bragg grating Fabry-Perot cavity

A precision and broadband laser frequency swept technique is experimentally demonstrated. Using synchronous current compensation, a slave diode laser is dynamically injection-locked to a specific high-order modulation-sideband of a narrow-linewidth master laser modulated by an electro-optic modulator (EOM), whose driven radio frequency (RF) signal can be agilely, precisely controlled by a frequency synthesizer, and the high-order modulation-sideband enables multiplied sweep range and tuning rate. By using 5th order sideband injection-locking, the original tuning range of 3 GHz and tuning rate of 0.5 THz/s is multiplied by 5 times to 15 GHz and 2.5 THz/s respectively. The slave laser has a 3 dB-linewidth of 2.5 kHz which is the same to the master laser. The settling time response of a 10 MHz frequency switching is 2.5 µs. By using higher-order modulation-sideband and optimized experiment parameters, an extended sweep range and rate could be expected.

Precision and broadband frequency swept laser source based on high-order modulation-sideband injection-locking.

An ultrafast optical frequency sweeping technique for narrow linewidth lasers is reported. This technique exploits the large frequency modulation bandwidth of a wideband voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) and a high speed electro-optic dual parallel Mach–Zehnder modulator (DPMZM) which works on the state of carrier suppressed single sideband modulation(CS-SSB). Optical frequency sweeping of a narrow linewidth fiber laser with 3.85 GHz sweeping range and 80GHz/μs tuning speed is demonstrated, which is an extremely high tuning speed for frequency sweeping of narrow linewidth lasers. In addition, injection locking technique is adopted to improve the sweeper’s low optical power output and small side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR).

Fast optical frequency sweeping using voltage controlled oscillator driven single sideband modulation combined with injection locking.

In order to realize homodyne reception and Doppler frequency shift tracking in ground-to-satellite coherent laser communication, a local laser is experimentally demonstrated in this Letter. It is realized based on modulation-sideband injection locking, and has a 10 GHz tuning range, a 1 THz/s tuning rate, a 5 kHz linewidth, and 16 mW of output power. When applied to a Costas loop in a coherent laser communication system, the local laser can achieve ±5 GHz Doppler frequency shift tracking with a 20 MHz/s frequency shift rate, which is sufficient for the ground-to-satellite coherent laser communication.

Fang Wei

Papers

Laser phase and frequency noise measurement by Michelson interferometer composed of a 3 × 3 optical fiber coupler.

Subkilohertz linewidth reduction of a DFB diode laser using self-injection locking with a fiber Bragg grating Fabry-Perot cavity

Precision and broadband frequency swept laser source based on high-order modulation-sideband injection-locking.

Fast optical frequency sweeping using voltage controlled oscillator driven single sideband modulation combined with injection locking.

Research on tunable local laser used in ground-to-satellite coherent laser communication