This paper presents a novel digital feedforward carrier recovery algorithm for arbitrary M-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM) constellations in an intradyne coherent optical receiver. The approach does not contain any feedback loop and is therefore highly tolerant against laser phase noise. This is crucial, especially for higher order QAM constellations, which inherently have a smaller phase noise tolerance due to the lower spacing between adjacent constellation points. In addition to the mathematical description of the proposed carrier recovery algorithm also a possible hardware-efficient implementation in a parallelized system is presented and the performance of the algorithm is evaluated by Monte Carlo simulations for square 4-QAM (QPSK), 16-QAM, 64-QAM, and 256-QAM. For the simulations ASE noise and laser phase noise are considered as well as analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and internal resolution effects. For a 1 dB penalty at BER = 10-3, linewidth times symbol duration products of 4.1 x 10-4 (4-QAM), 1.4 x 10-4 (16-QAM), 4.0 x 10-5 (64-QAM) and 8.0 x 10-6 (256-QAM) are tolerable.

Hardware-Efficient Coherent Digital Receiver Concept With Feedforward Carrier Recovery for $M$ -QAM Constellations

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 drive for higher performance in optical fiber systems has renewed interest in coherent detection. We review detection methods, including noncoherent, differentially coherent, and coherent detection, as well as a hybrid method. We compare modulation methods encoding information in various degrees of freedom (DOF). Polarization-multiplexed quadrature-amplitude modulation maximizes spectral efficiency and power efficiency, by utilizing all four available DOF, the two field quadratures in the two polarizations. Dual-polarization homodyne or heterodyne downconversion are linear processes that can fully recover the received signal field in these four DOF. When downconverted signals are sampled at the Nyquist rate, compensation of transmission impairments can be performed using digital signal processing (DSP). Linear impairments, including chromatic dispersion and polarization-mode dispersion, can be compensated quasi-exactly using finite impulse response filters. Some nonlinear impairments, such as intra-channel four-wave mixing and nonlinear phase noise, can be compensated partially. Carrier phase recovery can be performed using feedforward methods, even when phase-locked loops may fail due to delay constraints. DSP-based compensation enables a receiver to adapt to time-varying impairments, and facilitates use of advanced forward-error-correction codes. We discuss both single- and multi-carrier system implementations. For a given modulation format, using coherent detection, they offer fundamentally the same spectral efficiency and power efficiency, but may differ in practice, because of different impairments and implementation details. With anticipated advances in analog-to-digital converters and integrated circuit technology, DSP-based coherent receivers at bit rates up to 100 Gbit/s should become practical within the next few years.

/pdf/coherent-detection-in-optical-fiber-systems-26jfovi6pk.pdf

Coherent detection in optical fiber systems

Digital coherent receivers have caused a revolution in the design of optical transmission systems, due to the subsystems and algorithms embedded within such a receiver. After giving a high-level overview of the subsystems, the optical front end, the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and the digital signal processing (DSP) algorithms, which relax the tolerances on these subsystems are discussed. Attention is then turned to the compensation of transmission impairments, both static and dynamic. The discussion of dynamic-channel equalization, which forms a significant part of the paper, includes a theoretical analysis of the dual-polarization constant modulus algorithm, where the control surfaces several different equalizer algorithms are derived, including the constant modulus, decision-directed, trained, and the radially directed equalizer for both polarization division multiplexed quadriphase shift keyed (PDM-QPSK) and 16 level quadrature amplitude modulation (PDM-16-QAM). Synchronization algorithms employed to recover the timing and carrier phase information are then examined, after which the data may be recovered. The paper concludes with a discussion of the challenges for future coherent optical transmission systems.

Digital Coherent Optical Receivers: Algorithms and Subsystems

Silicon-based large-scale photonic integrated circuits are becoming important, due to the need for higher complexity and lower cost for optical transmitters, receivers and optical buffers. In this paper, passive technologies for large-scale photonic integrated circuits are described, including polarization handling, light non-reciprocity and loss reduction. The design rule for polarization beam splitters based on asymmetrical directional couplers is summarized and several novel designs for ultra-short polarization beam splitters are reviewed. A novel concept for realizing a polarization splitter–rotator is presented with a very simple fabrication process. Realization of silicon-based light non-reciprocity devices (e.g., optical isolator), which is very important for transmitters to avoid sensitivity to reflections, is also demonstrated with the help of magneto-optical material by the bonding technology. Low-loss waveguides are another important technology for large-scale photonic integrated circuits. Ultra-low loss optical waveguides are achieved by designing a Si3N4 core with a very high aspect ratio. The loss is reduced further to <0.1 dB m−1 with an improved fabrication process incorporating a high-quality thermal oxide upper cladding by means of wafer bonding. With the developed ultra-low loss Si3N4 optical waveguides, some devices are also demonstrated, including ultra-high-Q ring resonators, low-loss arrayed-waveguide grating (de)multiplexers, and high-extinction-ratio polarizers. Newly developed photonic components could allow large-scale photonic integrated circuits to be built on silicon substrates. Daoxin Dai from Zhejiang University, China, alongside co-workers from the University of California, USA, have proposed several new optical technologies for use in photonic integrated circuits, which substitute or work alongside electrical circuits in optical devices. The researchers have designed new ultrashort polarization-handling devices that split high-intensity beams of light, and a ring optical isolator that reduces reflections. The team have also created a new waveguide based on silicon nitride that can guide optical waves with a minimal loss of energy. These new technologies will allow scientists to construct higher performance, more compact optical devices.

/pdf/passive-technologies-for-future-large-scale-photonic-4doamz9zqi.pdf

Passive technologies for future large-scale photonic integrated circuits on silicon: polarization handling, light non-reciprocity and loss reduction

Coherent optical communication systems promise superior performance, but their realization in real time also poses big technical challenges. After an introduction the potential of coherent optical transmission systems is shown as manifested in offline experiments. Then we present key components that are necessary to realize these systems in real time. We review recent achievements in realtime coherent communication and finally present the results of a realtime QPSK transmission system with a 3×3 coupler in the receiver. The achieved BER at a data rate of 1.4 Gbit/s is well below the FEC threshold.

Coherent optical communication: towards realtime systems at 40 Gbit/s and beyond.

For the first time, synchronous quadrature phase-shift keying data is recovered in real-time after transmission with standard distributed feedback lasers using a digital inphase and quadrature receiver. Forward-error-correction-compatible performance is reached at 800 Mb/s after 63 km of fiber. Self-homodyne operation with an external cavity laser is error-free

First Real-Time Data Recovery for Synchronous QPSK Transmission With Standard DFB Lasers

This letter presents a coherent digital polarization diversity receiver for real-time polarization-multiplexed synchronous quadrature phase-shift keying transmission with distributed feedback lasers at a data rate of 2.8 Gb/s. The tolerance against fast polarization changes and polarization-dependent loss is evaluated for different filter widths in the carrier recovery circuit. The minimum achieved bit-error rate is 3.4 times 10-7.

Coherent Digital Polarization Diversity Receiver for Real-Time Polarization-Multiplexed QPSK Transmission at 2.8 Gb/s

This letter presents a hardware-efficient frequency estimator and an advanced phase estimation algorithm capable of tracking the phase noise of a 10-GBaud optical quadrature phase-shift-keying transmission system with standard distributed-feedback lasers in the presence of a frequency mismatch up to 1.2 GHz. This algorithm allows us to implement a digital coherent receiver without an analog frequency control circuit.

S. Hoffmann

Papers

Hardware-Efficient Coherent Digital Receiver Concept With Feedforward Carrier Recovery for $M$ -QAM Constellations

Coherent optical communication: towards realtime systems at 40 Gbit/s and beyond.

First Real-Time Data Recovery for Synchronous QPSK Transmission With Standard DFB Lasers

Coherent Digital Polarization Diversity Receiver for Real-Time Polarization-Multiplexed QPSK Transmission at 2.8 Gb/s

Frequency and Phase Estimation for Coherent QPSK Transmission With Unlocked DFB Lasers