The sustained growth of data traffic volume calls for an introduction of an efficient and scalable transport platform for links of 100 Gb/s and beyond in the future optical network. In this article, after briefly reviewing the existing major technology options, we propose a novel, spectrum- efficient, and scalable optical transport network architecture called SLICE. The SLICE architecture enables sub-wavelength, superwavelength, and multiple-rate data traffic accommodation in a highly spectrum-efficient manner, thereby providing a fractional bandwidth service. Dynamic bandwidth variation of elastic optical paths provides network operators with new business opportunities offering cost-effective and highly available connectivity services through time-dependent bandwidth sharing, energy-efficient network operation, and highly survivable restoration with bandwidth squeezing. We also discuss an optical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing-based flexible-rate transponder and a bandwidth-variable wavelength cross-connect as the enabling technologies of SLICE concept. Finally, we present the performance evaluation and technical challenges that arise in this new network architecture.

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Spectrum-efficient and scalable elastic optical path network: architecture, benefits, and enabling technologies

Solitons are waveforms that preserve their shape while propagating, as a result of a balance of dispersion and nonlinearity. Soliton-based data transmission schemes were investigated in the 1980s and showed promise as a way of overcoming the limitations imposed by dispersion of optical fibres. However, these approaches were later abandoned in favour of wavelength-division multiplexing schemes, which are easier to implement and offer improved scalability to higher data rates. Here we show that solitons could make a comeback in optical communications, not as a competitor but as a key element of massively parallel wavelength-division multiplexing. Instead of encoding data on the soliton pulse train itself, we use continuous-wave tones of the associated frequency comb as carriers for communication. Dissipative Kerr solitons (DKSs) (solitons that rely on a double balance of parametric gain and cavity loss, as well as dispersion and nonlinearity) are generated as continuously circulating pulses in an integrated silicon nitride microresonator via four-photon interactions mediated by the Kerr nonlinearity, leading to low-noise, spectrally smooth, broadband optical frequency combs. We use two interleaved DKS frequency combs to transmit a data stream of more than 50 terabits per second on 179 individual optical carriers that span the entire telecommunication C and L bands (centred around infrared telecommunication wavelengths of 1.55 micrometres). We also demonstrate coherent detection of a wavelength-division multiplexing data stream by using a pair of DKS frequency combs-one as a multi-wavelength light source at the transmitter and the other as the corresponding local oscillator at the receiver. This approach exploits the scalability of microresonator-based DKS frequency comb sources for massively parallel optical communications at both the transmitter and the receiver. Our results demonstrate the potential of these sources to replace the arrays of continuous-wave lasers that are currently used in high-speed communications. In combination with advanced spatial multiplexing schemes and highly integrated silicon photonic circuits, DKS frequency combs could bring chip-scale petabit-per-second transceivers into reach.

Microresonator-based solitons for massively parallel coherent optical communications

The recently developed digital coherent receiver enables us to employ a variety of spectrally efficient modulation formats such as $M$ -ary phase-shift keying and quadrature-amplitude modulation. Moreover, in the digital domain, we can equalize all linear transmission impairments such as group-velocity dispersion and polarization-mode dispersion of transmission fibers, because coherent detection preserves the phase information of the optical signal. This paper reviews the history of research and development related to coherent optical communications and describes the principle of coherent detection, including its quantum-noise characteristics. In addition, it discusses the role of digital signal processing in mitigating linear transmission impairments, estimating the carrier phase, and tracking the state of polarization of the signal in coherent receivers.

Fundamentals of Coherent Optical Fiber Communications

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Overview of Multicarrier CDMA Systems Channel Model Performance of MC-CDMA System Performance of Overlapping Multicarrier DS-CDMA Systems Performance of Multicarrier DS-CDMA-I Systems Performance of AMC DS-CDMA Systems Performance of SFH/MC DS-CDMA Systems Chapter Summary and Conclusion 
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Overview of Multicarrier CDMA

In this tutorial overview, the principles, advantages, challenges, and practical requirements of optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)-based optical access are presented, with an emphasis on orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) for application in next-generation passive optical networks (PON). General OFDM principles, including orthogonality, cyclic prefix use, frequency-domain equalization, and multiuser OFDMA are summarized, followed by an overview of various optical OFDM(A) transceiver architectures for next-generation PON. Functional requirements are outlined for high-speed digital signal processors (DSP) and data converters in OFDMA-PON. A techno-economic outlook for such a “software-defined,” DSP-based optical access platform is also provided.

OFDM for Next-Generation Optical Access Networks

In this paper, we present coherent optical single carrier transmission (COSC) using overlap frequency domain equalization (OFDE) for the chromatic dispersion (CD) compensation. Residual inter-symbol interference is suppressed by time domain equalization with small tap size. In single polarization transmission, 25-Gb/s COSC transmission with OFDE is demonstrated over 800 km to 4320 km of single-mode fiber (SMF) without optical dispersion compensation. The measured results show that the proposed configuration improves the transmission performance by setting adequate overlapped size of FFT windows and that it is suitable for long-haul optical communication systems.

Coherent Optical Single Carrier Transmission Using Overlap Frequency Domain Equalization for Long-Haul Optical Systems

This paper describes coherent optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (CO-OFDM) techniques for the long-haul transmission of 100-Gb/s-class channels. First, we discuss the configurations of the transmitter and receiver that implement the optical multiplexing/demultiplexing techniques for high-speed CO-OFDM transmission. Next, we review the no-guard-interval (No-GI) CO-OFDM transmission scheme which utilizes optical multiplexing for OFDM signal generation and the intradyne receiver configuration with digital signal processing (DSP). We examine the transmission characteristics of the proposed scheme, and show that No-GI CO-OFDM offers compact signal spectra and superior performance with regard to tolerance against optical amplifier noise and polarization-mode dispersion (PMD). We then introduce long-haul high-capacity transmission experiments employing No-GI CO-OFDM; 13.4 Tb/s (134 times 111 Gb/s) transmission is successfully demonstrated over 3600 km of ITU-T G.652 single-mode fiber without using optical dispersion compensation.

No-Guard-Interval Coherent Optical OFDM for 100-Gb/s Long-Haul WDM Transmission

We demonstrate 1023 Tb/s transmission over 3×80 km of PSCF by employing 548-Gb/s PDM-64QAM single-carrier frequency-division-multiplexing (SC-FDM) signals with pilot tone and 112-THz ultra-wideband low-noise amplification in the C- and extended L-bands

102.3-Tb/s (224 × 548-Gb/s) C- and extended L-band all-Raman transmission over 240 km using PDM-64QAM single carrier FDM with digital pilot tone

We demonstrate 240-Gb/s 64-QAM signal modulation and detection. 20-Gbaud 64-QAM signals are generated employing hybrid integration of silica PLCs and LiNbO 3 phase modulators, and demodulated with a digital coherent receiver without using any pilot signals.

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel5/5273784/5395699/05395710.pdf

240-Gb/s polarization-multiplexed 64-QAM modulation and blind detection using PLC-LN hybrid integrated modulator and digital coherent receiver

A high-performance optical OFDM receiver is realized A subcarrier separation circuit receives an optical OFDM signal consisting of two subcarriers A and B and separates a subcarrier component, signal light and first local oscillator light are input to the subcarrier separation circuit, the subcarrier separation circuit converts the signal light and the first local oscillator into a baseband electrical signal, the subcarrier separation circuit converts the baseband electrical signal into a digital signal, the subcarrier separation circuit shifts the frequency of the converted digital signal so that a center frequency of the subcarrier A becomes zero, and the subcarrier separation circuit adds a frequency shifted signal to a signal obtained by delaying the frequency shifted signal by ½ of a symbol time to separate a component of the subcarrier A

Koichi Ishihara

Papers

Coherent Optical Single Carrier Transmission Using Overlap Frequency Domain Equalization for Long-Haul Optical Systems

No-Guard-Interval Coherent Optical OFDM for 100-Gb/s Long-Haul WDM Transmission

102.3-Tb/s (224 × 548-Gb/s) C- and extended L-band all-Raman transmission over 240 km using PDM-64QAM single carrier FDM with digital pilot tone

240-Gb/s polarization-multiplexed 64-QAM modulation and blind detection using PLC-LN hybrid integrated modulator and digital coherent receiver

Optical ofdm receiver, optical transmission system, subcarrier separation circuit, and subcarrier separation method