Lars Altenhain

Bio: Lars Altenhain is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Transmission (telecommunications) & Silicon photonics. The author has an hindex of 8, co-authored 12 publications receiving 427 citations.

Single-laser 32.5 Tbit/s Nyquist WDM transmission

Abstract: We demonstrate single-laser 32.5 Tbit/s 16QAM Nyquist wavelength division multiplexing transmission over a total length of 227 km of SMF-28 without optical dispersion compensation. A number of 325 optical carriers is derived from a single laser and encoded with dual-polarization 16QAM data using sinc-shaped Nyquist pulses. As we use no guard bands, the carriers have a spacing of 12.5 GHz equal to the symbol rate or Nyquist bandwidth of the data. We achieve a net spectral efficiency of 6.4 bit/s/Hz using a software-defined transmitter, which generates the electric drive signals for the electro-optic modulator in real time.

Single carrier 1.2 Tbit/s transmission over 300 km with PM-64 QAM at 100 GBaud

Abstract: We experimentally demonstrate Dual Polarization 64 QAM at 100 GBaud performing below the 20% soft FEC threshold of 4×10−2 over 300 km of ultra large effective area fiber at a record line rate of 1.2-Tbit/s.

100 GBd Intensity Modulation and Direct Detection With an InP-Based Monolithic DFB Laser Mach–Zehnder Modulator

Abstract: We demonstrate 100 GBd operation of an optical transmitter module including a distributed feedback laser monolithically integrated with a Mach–Zehnder modulator (DFB-MZM), to the best of our knowledge for the first time. Combining high-speed optics and electronics with digital signal processing (DSP), different schemes for intensity modulation and direct detection at 100, 200, and 300 Gbit/s are analyzed, using electrical signals from a 100 GSa/s BiCMOS DAC. Due to close-to-zero transmitter chirp, 100 Gbit/s NRZ transmission over 1.8 km and 200 Gbit/s PAM4 transmission over 1.2 km at 1550 nm with a bit error rate (BER) below the 7% overhead forward error correction (FEC) threshold (3.8 × 10−3) is achieved. At 200 Gbit/s PAM4, the DFB-MZM module consumes only 0.85 pJ/bit, making it a promising device for attractive dual-lane 400 Gbit/s systems. We also achieve 300 Gbit/s PAM8 transmission over 1.2 km with a BER below the 20% overhead FEC threshold (1.9 × 10−2) by implementing advanced DSP based on a pattern-dependent lookup table to mitigate the electrical and optical device bandwidth limitations.

Silicon-Organic Hybrid (SOH) Mach-Zehnder Modulators for 100 Gbit/s on-off Keying

Abstract: Electro-optic modulators for high-speed on-off keying (OOK) are key components of short- and medium-reach interconnects in data-center networks. Small footprint, cost-efficient large-scale production, small drive voltages and ultra-low power consumption are of paramount importance for such devices. Here we demonstrate that the concept of silicon-organic hybrid (SOH) integration perfectly meets these challenges. The approach combines the unique processing advantages of large-scale silicon photonics with unrivalled electro-optic (EO) coefficients obtained by molecular engineering of organic materials. Our proof-of-concept experiments demonstrate generation and transmission of OOK signals at line rates of up to 100 Gbit/s using a 1.1 mm-long SOH Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) featuring a π-voltage of only 0.9 V. The experiment represents the first demonstration of 100 Gbit/s OOK on the silicon photonic platform, featuring the lowest drive voltage and energy consumption ever demonstrated for a semiconductor-based device at this data rate. We support our results by a theoretical analysis showing that the nonlinear transfer characteristic of the MZM can help to overcome bandwidth limitations of the modulator and the electric driver circuitry. We expect that high-speed, power-efficient SOH modulators may have transformative impact on short-reach networks, enabling compact transceivers with unprecedented efficiency, thus building the base of future interfaces with Tbit/s data rates.

1.52 Tb/s Single Carrier Transmission Supported by a 128 GSa/s SiGe DAC

Abstract: We report on a new 128 GSa/s SiGe digital to analog converter supporting data generation at 128 GBaud. We demonstrate successful transmission at 1.55 Tb/s net rate in back to back and 1.52 Tb/s after 80 km of SMF.

Microresonator-based solitons for massively parallel coherent optical communications

Abstract: 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.

Coherent terabit communications with microresonator Kerr frequency combs.

Abstract: Optical frequency combs have the potential to revolutionize terabit communications1. Generation of Kerr combs in nonlinear microresonators2 represents a particularly promising option3 enabling line spacings of tens of GHz. However, such combs may exhibit strong phase noise4-6, which has made high-speed data transmission impossible up to now. Here we demonstrate that systematic adjustment of pump conditions for low phase noise4,7-9 enables coherent data transmission with advanced modulation formats that pose stringent requirements on the spectral purity of the comb. In a first experiment, we encode a data stream of 392 Gbit/s on a Kerr comb using quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) and 16-state quadrature amplitude modulation (16QAM). A second experiment demonstrates feedback-stabilization of the comb and transmission of a 1.44 Tbit/s data stream over up to 300 km. The results show that Kerr combs meet the highly demanding requirements of coherent communications and thus offer an attractive solution towards chip-scale terabit/s transceivers.

High-performance hybrid silicon and lithium niobate Mach–Zehnder modulators for 100 Gbit s −1 and beyond

Abstract: Optical modulators are at the heart of optical communication links. Ideally, they should feature low loss, low drive voltage, large bandwidth, high linearity, compact footprint and low manufacturing cost. Unfortunately, these criteria have been achieved only on separate occasions. Based on a silicon and lithium niobate hybrid integration platform, we demonstrate Mach–Zehnder modulators that simultaneously fulfil these criteria. The presented device exhibits an insertion loss of 2.5 dB, voltage–length product of 2.2 V cm in single-drive push–pull operation, high linearity, electro-optic bandwidth of at least 70 GHz and modulation rates up to 112 Gbit s−1. The high-performance modulator is realized by seamless integration of a high-contrast waveguide based on lithium niobate—a popular modulator material—with compact, low-loss silicon circuitry. The hybrid platform demonstrated here allows for the combination of ‘best-in-breed’ active and passive components, opening up new avenues for future high-speed, energy-efficient and cost-effective optical communication networks. Low-loss, high-speed and efficient optical modulators on a silicon platform are demonstrated.

High-Performance Hybrid Silicon and Lithium Niobate Mach-Zehnder Modulators for 100 Gbit/s and Beyond

Abstract: Optical modulators are at the heart of optical communication links Ideally, they should feature low insertion loss, low drive voltage, large modulation bandwidth, high linearity, compact footprint and low manufacturing cost Unfortunately, these criteria have only been achieved on separate occasionsBased on a Silicon and Lithium Niobate hybrid integration platform, we demonstrate Mach-Zehnder modulators that simultaneously fulfill these criteria The presented device exhibits an insertion loss of 25 dB, voltage-length product of 22 Vcm, high linearity, electro-optic bandwidth of at least 70 GHz and modulation rates up to 112 Gbit/s The high-performance modulator is realized by seamless integration of high-contrast waveguide based on Lithium Niobate - the most mature modulator material - with compact, low-loss silicon circuits The hybrid platform demonstrated here allows for the combination of 'best-in-breed' active and passive components, opening up new avenues for enabling future high-speed, energy efficient and cost-effective optical communication networks

Digital Signal Processing for Short-Reach Optical Communications: A Review of Current Technologies and Future Trends

Abstract: Driven primarily by cloud service and data-center applications, short-reach optical communication has become a key market segment and growing research area in recent years. Short-reach systems are characterized by direct detection-based receiver configurations and other low-cost and small form factor components that induce transmission impairments unforeseen in their coherent counterparts. Innovative signaling and digital signal processing (DSP) play a pivotal role in enabling these components to realize their ultimate potentials and meet data rate requirements in cost-effective manners. This paper presents an overview of recent DSP developments for short-reach communications systems and discusses future trends.