Showing papers on "Optical communication published in 1997"

Photonic-bandgap microcavities in optical waveguides

Abstract: Confinement of light to small volumes has important implications for optical emission properties: it changes the probability of spontaneous emission from atoms, allowing both enhancement and inhibition. In photonic-bandgap (PBG) materials1,2,3,4 (also known as photonic crystals), light can be confined within a volume of the order of (λ/2n)3, where λ is the emission wavelength and n the refractive index of the material, by scattering from a periodic array of scattering centres. Until recently5,6, the properties of two- and three-dimensional PBG structures have been measured only at microwave frequencies. Because the optical bandgap scales with the period of the scattering centres, feature sizes of around 100 nm are needed for manipulation of light at the infrared wavelength (1.54 µm) used for optical communications. Fabricating features this small requires the use of electron-beam or X-ray lithography. Here we report measurements of microcavity resonances in PBG structures integrated directly into a sub-micrometre-scale silicon waveguide. The microcavity has a resonance at a wavelength of 1.56 µm, a quality factor of 265 and a modal volume of 0.055 µm3. This level of integration might lead to new photonic chip architectures and devices, such as zero-threshold microlasers, filters and signal routers.

Optical Communication Receiver Design

Abstract: Optical communications system performance photodetection photodetectors receiver noise modelling receiver front-end design receiver performance analysis.

Optical communication systems

Abstract: A return-to-zero pulse optical communication system includes fast saturable absorber means (F1,DSF) to provide substantially zero average dispersion in a single amplifier span (SIF,DSF) to reduce the effect of timing jitter an provide considerably enhanced propagation distances.

Optical components for WDM lightwave networks

Abstract: Recently, there has been growing interest in developing optical fiber networks to support the increasing bandwidth demands of multimedia applications, such as video conferencing and World Wide Web browsing. One technique for accessing the huge bandwidth available in an optical fiber is wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM). Under WDM, the optical fiber bandwidth is divided into a number of nonoverlapping wavelength bands, each of which may be accessed at peak electronic rates by an end user. By utilizing WDM in optical networks, we can achieve link capacities on the order of 50 THz. The success of WDM networks depends heavily on the available optical device technology. This paper is intended as a tutorial on some of the optical device issues in WDM networks. It discusses the basic principles of optical transmission in fiber and reviews the current state of the art in optical device technology. It introduces some of the basic components in WDM networks, discusses various implementations of these components, and provides insights into their capabilities and limitations. Then, this paper demonstrates how various optical components can be incorporated into WDM optical networks for both local and wide-area applications. Finally, the paper provides a brief review of experimental WDM networks that have been implemented.

Dispersion-tolerant optical transmission system using duobinary transmitter and binary receiver

Abstract: We propose a dispersion-tolerant optical duobinary transmission system which uses a binary intensity modulation direct detection (IM-DD) receiver. The proposed system also relaxes the fiber input power limitation due to stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS). Tolerance to chromatic dispersion in the proposed system is estimated by a simulation. A 10 Gb/s optical duobinary signal can be transmitted over 200 km of standard single-mode fiber (SMF) with 1 dB dispersion penalty. The advantages of the proposed system are confirmed experimentally. The optical duobinary signal was successfully received by the binary IM-DD receiver at the same sensitivity as a binary IM signal. Power penalty due to chromatic dispersion over a 164-km standard SMF was about 1.8 dB at 10 Gb/s. The SBS threshold of the 10 Gb/s optical duobinary modulated light was more than +20 dBm.

Optical communication system

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To stabilize reception intensity on a reception side even if frequency characteristics of an optical external modulator change by controlling the carrier frequency of the modulating signal of the optical external modulator according to the output of a temperature detector provided to the optical external modulator. SOLUTION: Of the optical communication system which modulates the plane of polarization of light propagated in an optical transmission line 1 with the modulating signal of the optical external modulator 2 from outside the optical transmission line 1, the optical external modulator 2 is provided with the temperature detector 3 and the carrier frequency of the modulating signal of the optical external modulator 2 is controlled according to the output of this temperature detector 3. Thus, the carrier frequency of the modulating signal of the optical external modulator 2 is controlled according to the output of the temperature detector 3 provided for the optical external modulator 2 and then the degree of modulation of the optical external modulator 2 vary with temperature to stabilize the reception intensity of the light signal, thereby enabling an optical communication of high reliability.

High resolution optical multiplexing and demultiplexing device in optical communication system

Abstract: An optical multiplexing and demultiplexing device of a type using a lens and a diffraction grating, which incorporates a waveguide array having waveguide channels with narrow spacings for facilitating high resolution, where the narrow spacings are realized by forming an etching groove between each adjacent waveguide channels and providing a measure for preventing optical coupling among the waveguide channels in the form of an air gap, or a layer having a refractive index lower than a cladding layer, or a layer for absorbing/reflecting light, which is provided in the etching groove. The device also incorporates a reflection mirror for reflecting the initially diffracted lights from the diffraction grating back to the diffraction grating, such that the diffracting grating diffracts the diffracted lights reflected back from the reflection mirror again to produce wavelength division multiplexed/demultiplexed optical signals in high resolution.

Indoor optical wireless systems–a review

Abstract: This paper reviews the research effort to date into optical wireless communication systems, both in academic and industrial contexts. The idea of using the optical medium for wireless communications is not new, having been proposed as a means for indoor communications almost two decades ago. However, the last few years have seen an explosive interest in the potential for free space optical systems to provide portable data communications. One of the prime motivators for reconsidering the use of an optical carrier in the wireless context is the demand for greater transmission bandwidths. The radio frequency spectrum is already exceedingly congested and frequency allocations of sufficient bandwidths are extremely hard to obtain. Further, for the high bandwidth services envisaged, the use of microwave or mm-wave systems will be required, where device technology is currently either expensive or immature. Proponents of optical wireless systems argue that the optical medium is the only cost-effective way to provide high bit-rate mobile services to volume markets. This paper identifies the technical obstacles and limitations of indoor optical wireless delivery in addition to techniques for mitigating these effects and shows that infrared is a viable alternative to radio for certain applications.

Laser satellite communication network-vibration effect and possible solutions

Abstract: A number of serious consortiums develop satellite communication networks. The objective of these communication projects is to service personal communication users almost everywhere on Earth. The intersatellite links in those projects use microwave radiation as the carrier. Free-space optical communication between satellites networked together can make possible high-speed communication between different places on Earth. Some advantages of an optical communication system over a microwave communication system in free space are: (1) smaller size and weight, (2) less transmitter power, (3) larger bandwidth, and (4) higher immunity to interference. The pointing from one satellite to another is a complicated problem due to the large distance between the satellite, the narrow beam divergence angle, and vibration of the pointing system. Such vibration of the transmitted beam in the receiver plane decreases the average received signal, which increases the bit error rate. We review: (1) the present status of satellite networks, (2) developing efforts of optical satellite communication around the world, (3) performance results of vibration effects on different kinds of optical communication satellite networks, and (4) seven approaches to overcome the problems caused by transmitter pointing vibration.

Performance analysis of direct-detection optical asynchronous CDMA systems with double optical hard-limiters

Abstract: Performance of optical asynchronous code-division multiple-access (CDMA) systems with double optical hard-limiters is analyzed under the assumption of Poisson shot noise model for the receiver photodetector where the noise due to the detector dark currents exists. Optical orthogonal codes (OOC's) are employed as signature sequence codes. In the analysis, chips are assumed to be synchronous among users, that is, the chip synchronous case, because the effect of the interference is largest in the chip synchronous case and thus the performance in the chip synchronous case results in the upper bounds on the performance of the asynchronous system. The performance is evaluated under average power and bit rate constraints. The results show that, differing from the optical synchronous CDMA systems with double optical hard-limiters, the optical asynchronous CDMA systems with double optical hard-limiters have good performance even when the number of simultaneous users is large.

Propagation of solitons in fibers with randomly varying birefringence: effects of soliton transmission control

Abstract: Propagation of solitons in fibers with randomly varying birefringence is studied with and without including the effect of soliton transmission control. A simple expression for the decay of soliton energy due to the birefringence is derived, which will be useful in predicting soliton-pulse broadening in randomly birefringent fibers with their polarization-mode dispersion parameter specified. It is also shown that transmission control of solitons effectively removes dispersive radiations generated by the birefringence.

Theory of burst-mode receiver and its applications in optical multiaccess networks

Abstract: In this paper, a unified theory for the newly developed optical burst-mode receiver is presented. Based on this theory, an analysis of the performance of the receiver is given both theoretically and experimentally. The theoretical model agrees well with the experimental results. This theory can quantitatively explain the bit error rate (BER) performance of burst-mode receivers. Several potential applications of burst-mode receivers are also illustrated, including applications in supervisory system for erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) trans-oceanic optical links and various high-speed all-optical multiaccess packet networks.

Tunable long-period optical grating device and optical systems employing same

Abstract: A device and method for dynamically tuning a long-period grating of an optical fiber is disclosed. The grating is made tunable by using a controlled strain imposed on the fiber adjacent the grating, wherein the strain comprises an electromechanical force, magnetostrictive force, magnetic force, or a thermally-induced force. An improved optical communication system comprising a dynamically gain-equalized amplifier device, a wavelength feedback device, and the tunable long-period grating device is also disclosed. In the communications system, the grating device is reconfigured to have a desired broadband filtering frequency, thus equalizing the amplifier gain, in response to feedback from the wavelength detector.

Optical communications system with wavelength division multiplexing

Abstract: A wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) in an optical fiber transmission system launches analog signals, for instance a multi-channel television signal. The WDM enhances signal quality by transmitting along a single fiber two different optical wavelength signals, each carrying identical RF information. This results in a 3 dB improvement in carrier to noise ratio. The WDM combines two or more wavelengths centered around for instance 1550 nm or 1310 nm. A typical difference between the two wavelengths is 3 nm. In other embodiments, more than two wavelengths are used. The receiver is for instance a single photosensitive element. The phase of the two RF signals is adjusted in the optical or RF domain to be the same upon arrival at the receiver. In other embodiments, the receiver includes two photosensitive elements, each receiving from a receiver end WDM a single wavelength. In this case, the phase adjustment may be applied at the receiver in the optical or RF domain.

Telecommunications system simultaneously receiving and modulating an optical signal

Abstract: A method of operating an optical communications network whereby a terminal in said optical communications network can simultaneously receive and modulate an optical signal. The terminal includes an optical modulator which is controlled by varying the bias voltage applied to it.

Ultra-fast tunable optical filters

Abstract: A fast interferometric tunable optical filter consists of a variable delay line, with a fast phase modulator (10) inserted into the line, which acts as a resonator loop (8, 43) and is connected between the ports of an optical coupler (6, 14). The filter provides tuning speeds of the order of one nanosecond, making the filter suitable for use in selecting a desired wavelength division multiplexed signal as used in optical communications systems. The filter can be implemented in single resonator form, or, to provide improved performance, in a compound resonator form. It can also be constructed in fiber optical form (24, 25), or in a monolithic form on a chip of gallium arsenide in an integrated optics configuration, thereby providing lower production costs and improved performance.

Beam width and transmitter power adaptive to tracking system performance for free-space optical communication

Abstract: The basic free-space optical communication system includes at least two satellites. To communicate between them, the transmitter satellite must track the beacon of the receiver satellite and point the information optical beam in its direction. Optical tracking and pointing systems for free space suffer during tracking from high-amplitude vibration because of background radiation from interstellar objects such as the Sun, Moon, Earth, and stars in the tracking field of view or the mechanical impact from satellite internal and external sources. The vibrations of beam pointing increase the bit error rate and jam communication between the two satellites. One way to overcome this problem is to increase the satellite receiver beacon power. However, this solution requires increased power consumption and weight, both of which are disadvantageous in satellite development. Considering these facts, we derive a mathematical model of a communication system that adapts optimally the transmitter beam width and the transmitted power to the tracking system performance. Based on this model, we investigate the performance of a communication system with discrete element optical phased array transmitter telescope gain. An example for a practical communication system between a Low Earth Orbit Satellite and a Geostationary Earth Orbit Satellite is presented. From the results of this research it can be seen that a four-element adaptive transmitter telescope is sufficient to compensate for vibration amplitude doubling. The benefits of the proposed model are less required transmitter power and improved communication system performance.

Large-signal analysis of all-optical wavelength conversion using two-mode injection-locking in semiconductor lasers

Abstract: A large-signal analysis is presented for a DC-biased Fabry-Perot laser locked by simultaneous strong optical injection of a CW signal and a modulated signal into different modes. The model is based on the description of injection-locking by Lang (1982) which is shown to hold even under the condition of strong injection and large detuning of the input signals. The following results are obtained: the configuration allows all-optical wavelength conversion in the multigigabit range, and both logically noninverting and inverting conversion is possible. In both operation modes, the conversion mechanism is mainly attributed to dispersive switching which is shown to be very fast above threshold due to injection-locking. Operation up to data rates of 20 Gb/s is possible with reasonable output extinction ratio. The bandwidth is determined by the relaxation oscillation frequency of the laser. It will be extended by decreasing the resonator length, increasing the injected current, and increasing the injected optical power. The output signal is nearly chirp-free. The model is able to explain the main results of previously published experiments.

Design theory of long-distance optical transmission systems using midway optical phase conjugation

Abstract: This paper describes the basic system principle, the residual waveform distortion, the optimal design method, the ultimate transmission capacity, and its future improvement of the long-distance optical fiber transmission system using midway optical phase conjugation. We show that the periodic power variation in an optical amplifier chain and the dispersion value fluctuation from span to span along the system cause imperfect compensation for waveform distortion in the midway optical phase conjugation system. The optimal design method for suppressing the residual waveform distortion is proposed and confirmed by using computer simulations.

Optical spectral amplitude CDMA communication

Abstract: We report the first demonstration of bipolar coding techniques in the optical spectral domain for incoherent optical code division multiple access (CDMA) communication. Based on the modulation and detection principles that we have developed, the power spectrum of an erbium-doped superfluorescent fiber source was encoded using bipolar codes and decoded using an optical bipolar correlator. A CDMA testbed consisting of two encoders and one decoder was implemented with bulk optics and free-space transmission. Our measurements verify the correlations between the bipolar codewords and demonstrate the rejection of multiple access interference.

Signal-to-noise ratio analysis of 100 Gb/s demultiplexing using nonlinear optical loop mirror

Abstract: This paper investigates experimentally and theoretically the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) characteristics of 100 Gb/s all-optical demultiplexing using a nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM). The analysis takes into account two effects that degrade the SNR associated with NOLM demultiplexing. First is channel crosstalk originating from the leakage of nontarget channels. Second is the intensity fluctuations of demultiplexed signals caused by the combined effects of timing jitter and a profile of the switching window. Considering these two effects, power penalties associated with NOLM. Demultiplexing are theoretically evaluated using the conventional noise theory of an optical receiver followed by an optical preamplifier. Experimental results of bit error rate measurements for 100 Gb/s demultiplexing using three different NOLMs with different intrinsic crosstalk values, defined by signal transmittance in the absence of control pulses, show that the power penalties are in good agreement with the evaluation based upon our proposed analysis. It can be found from our investigation in demultiplexing from 100 to 10 Gb/s that intrinsic crosstalk of less than -25 dB, corresponding to a coupling ratio, K, of |K-0.5|/spl les/0.03, is required for the power penalty of less than 1 dB. The root-mean-square (rms) value of the relative timing jitter necessary for obtaining a sufficient timing tolerance width for combining control and signal pulses is determined.

Signal monitoring apparatus for wavelength division multiplexed optical telecommunication networks

Abstract: A detector array spectrometer simultaneously monitors wavelength, power, and signal-to-noise ratio of wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) channels in telecommunication networks. A spectrometer spatially separates signals from the WDM channels according to the channels' wavelengths. The separated signals are incident on an array of split-detectors that conforms to the spatial separation of the signals provided by the spectrometer. While the split-detectors are positioned to receive a signal from each WDM channel, a noise detector is positioned between adjacent split-detectors to measure noise. A common mode output from two halves of each split-detector indicates the power in a WDM channel, while a differential output from the halves indicates wavelength deviations in the WDM channels. The ratio of the common mode signal to the noise detector signal is used to monitor the signal-to-noise ratio of the WDM channel. An angled diffraction grating in the spectrometer achieves compact size and high measurement resolution for the detector array spectrometer.

Article comprising an optical waveguide tap

Abstract: A dispersive optical waveguide tap comprises a blazed and chirped refractive index grating in the core of the waveguide, coupling means and utilization means. The grating is selected such that guided mode light of predetermined wavelength will, in the absence of the coupling means, be directed into one or more cladding modes of the waveguide. The presence of the coupling means in optical co-operation with the waveguide, changes the guiding conditions such that the cladding modes are substantially eliminated from a portion of the waveguide that includes the cladding, whereby the grating directs the guided mode light into one or more radiation modes. The blaze angle typically is ≦15°. The chirp serves to bring the radiation mode light substantially to a focus in at least one dimension, the focal point (or line) depending on the wavelength of the light. The utilization means exemplarily comprise an array of photodetectors, and the coupling means exemplarily comprise an appropriately shaped glass member and index matching means. Dispersive waveguide taps are advantageously used in WDM optical communication systems, e.g., to provide status information (e.g., channel wavelength, channel power, including presence or absence of a channel) to, e.g., a system maintenance unit. The status information facilitates maintenance of operating conditions by conventional feedback control.

Method and apparatus for wavelength-channel tracking and alignment within an optical communications system

Abstract: The present invention teaches a novel technique for properly aligning the various channel positions of an optical signal splitter/combiner device, such as a DWDM, and associated optical transmitter(s), often a laser. In particular, the described technique establishes and utilizes feedback links between the operating temperature of the splitter/combiner and the operating temperature or operating current of the transmitter(s) to accurately manipulate the wavelengths of these devices in a manner that results in accurate alignment of the device wavelengths to the desired grid of channel positions, λ0, λ1, λ2, λ3, . . . , λn. Furthermore, by providing this active alignment or tracking scheme, the techniques of the present invention allows optical systems to more effectively operate at smaller channel spacings, i.e. ≦ about 50 GHz between adjacent channel positions, and with larger number of channels per device, i.e. ≧ about 32 channels.

Transmission wavelength control method permitting efficient wavelength multiplexing, optical communication method, optical transmitter, optical transmitter-receiver apparatus, and optical communication system

Abstract: A wavelength control method controls a wavelength of output light from an optical transmitter used in an optical communication system for performing wavelength-multiplexing. The method includes steps of causing light-output means of the optical transmitter to output light and guiding the output light of the light-output means and light used in the optical communication system to a wavelength tunable filter. The method also includes sweeping a selective wavelength of the wavelength tunable filter, and detecting, based on the sweeping, if a wavelength spacing between a wavelength of the output light, which is output from the light-output means, and a wavelength of the light used in the optical communication system, which is adjacent to the wavelength of the output light on a wavelength axis on either a longer wavelength side or a shorter wavelength side, is wider or narrower than a predetermined wavelength spacing. The method also includes performing control in which the wavelength of the output light is caused to approach the adjacent wavelength when the wavelength spacing is detected to be wider than the predetermined wavelength in said detecting step and the wavelength of the output light is caused to be away from the adjacent wavelength when the wavelength spacing is detected to be narrower than the predetermined wavelength.

Method and system for managing optical subcarrier reception

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) optical subcarrier management and reception in a communication network. In a multiple-wavelength optical communication link, ancillary signals that are conveyed by low-level intensity-modulated subcarriers are received with increased sensitivity in the subcarrier channel of the network. An increased SNR is accomplished by passing the same ancillary signal along all the carriers and by combining the received signals at a summing amplifer (560) in the electrical domain.

On the relationship between chromatic dispersion and transmitter filter response in duobinary optical communication systems

Abstract: It is shown through numerical simulation that limiting the spectral occupancy of a duobinary optical signal, which can be achieved by an appropriate choice of electrical transmitter filter response, is necessary in order to receive a benefit from duobinary transmission in single-mode optical communication systems. It is explained why such band limiting gives an improvement in dispersion immunity, and why ideal duobinary signaling is ineffective. The results are in good agreement with published experimental work.

Optical communications system

Abstract: When a branching unit combines a first optical signal transmitted from a branch station with a second optical signal which is different in power level from the first optical signal and is transmitted from a terminal station A or B in an optical add-drop system, the S/N ratio of the lower power level of the two different power levels decreases, thereby deteriorating the system performance. Therefore, a dummy light is transmitted together with an optical signal to adjust the power level of the optical signal. Otherwise, an optical attenuator or an active optical signal level adjustment unit is provided for the branching unit so that both optical signals to be combined can be equal in level.

WDM ring network using a centralized multiwavelength light source and add-drop multiplexing filters

Abstract: We propose and experimentally demonstrate a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) ring network employing a centralized multiwavelength light source to supply all nodes with optical carriers of precise wavelength spacing. This approach overcomes the problem of monitoring and controlling the wavelengths of optical sources dispersed throughout the network. A four-node test bed using optical lattice-type add-drop multiplexing filters and a multiwavelength light source based on resonant cavity-enhanced four wave mixing in a Fabry-Perot laser diode was constructed to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method. The effects of coherent crosstalk in such networks are analyzed, and methods such as phase scrambling or the use of a pulsed optical source are shown to significantly reduce the effects of coherent crosstalk. The use of four-port add-drop multiplexer (ADM) filters instead of 1:n optical wavelength multiplexer/demultiplexers to implement the wavelength add-drop function at each node is shown to lead to a broader transmission bandwidth for each channel and also easier compatibility with the coherent crosstalk suppression mechanisms described.

Reduction of excess intensity noise in spectrum-sliced incoherent light for WDM applications

Abstract: We investigate wideband reduction of excess intensity noise in incoherent light for application to spectrum-sliced WDM systems. The noise reduction scheme is based on optoelectronic feedforward compensation. We derive expressions for the probability density function of noise-reduced incoherent light and present measurements that are in good agreement with theory. We evaluate the significant levels of improvement obtainable in the capacity of spectrum-sliced WDM channels. For example, to obtain a signal-to-noise ratio of 50, a noise-reduced channel requires six times less optical bandwidth than a spectral slice without noise reduction.