Wavelength-division multiplexing

About: Wavelength-division multiplexing is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 25059 publications have been published within this topic receiving 332027 citations. The topic is also known as: WDM.

Design protection for WDM optical networks

Abstract: With wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) networks the failure of a single link or component may cause the simultaneous failure of several optical channels, potentially making impossible restoration by rerouting directly in higher layers directly using the optical network (SDH, ATM, internal protocol (IP)). To address this, we introduce the concept of design protection, which aims at making such failure propagations impossible. We present the disjoint alternate path (DAP) algorithm which places optical channels in order to maximize design protection. We show the result on various network examples.

Four-wave mixing in semiconductor optical amplifiers for frequency conversion and fast optical switching

Abstract: Four-wave mixing (FWM) in semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) is an important tool for frequency conversion and fast optical switching in all-optical communication networks. We review the main applications of SOAs as nonlinear optical components. Concentrating on FWM, we define general parameters that are of relevance for signal processing applications. We show, how basic experiments and general simulation procedures can be used to determine optimum operating conditions for the intended applications. Besides a comprehensive investigation of FWM among continuous waves, we present new experimental results on FWM with picosecond optical pulses. A comparison of both reveals a different behavior and demonstrates that new optimization criteria and advanced theoretical models have to be applied for the case of short optical pulses. Moreover, we discuss the possibility to extract the dynamical SOA parameters from our experiments.

Directly Modulated Self-Seeding Reflective Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers as Colorless Transmitters in Wavelength Division Multiplexed Passive Optical Networks

Abstract: The deployment rate of wavelength division multiplexed passive optical networks (WDM-PONs) is expected to accelerate with the availability of cost-efficient wavelength-specific transmitters. Fueled by this promise, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a novel scheme that facilitates the use of reflective semiconductor optical amplifiers (RSOAs) as colorless upstream transmitters. Central to the scheme is the use of a passive reflective path that is placed at the remote node (RN) to reflect a spectral slice of the broadband amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) light emitted from each RSOA. The reflected spectral slice, termed as a seeding light, establishes a self-seeding of the RSOA with measurements indicating the self-seeded output to be incoherent with a low relative intensity noise. The subsequent direct modulation of the self-seeding RSOA with nonreturn-to-zero data at 1.25 Gb/s for upstream transmission exhibits good transmission and crosstalk performance after traversing 21 km of single-mode fiber. Our proposed scheme eliminates the need for centralized broadband sources, external modulators, and active temperature control within the RN and between the RN and the optical network unit. Aside from the feasibility study of self-seeding RSOAs, we investigate the upstream performance dependence on the characteristics of the seeding light. Our investigations reveal that there exists a noise floor limit of the bit error rate (BER) of the self-seeded upstream signal. The noise floor is shown to vary with an initial optical seeding power that affects the level of ASE noise suppression of the self-seeded upstream signal. None the less, the RSOA self-seeds at a user-defined wavelength with a sufficient suppression of ASE noise to achieve a BER=10-9 with only -30.5 dBm of initial optical seeding power. Our characterization of the frequency response of the RSOA reveals a high-pass filter response that suppresses the modulation on the reflected seeding light, and thus stabilizing the self-seeded output. Collectively, these features highlight the potential of using the self-seeding RSOAs to realize a cost-efficient WDM-PON solution in the near future

MEMS: the path to large optical crossconnects

Abstract: Continuous growth in demand for optical network capacity and the sudden maturation of WDM technologies have fueled the development of long-haul optical network systems that transport tens to hundreds of wavelengths per fiber, with each wavelength modulated at 10 Gb/s or more. Micro-electromechanical systems devices are recognized to be the enabling technologies to build the next-generation cost-effective and reliable high-capacity optical crossconnects. While the promises of automatically reconfigurable networks and bit-rate-independent photonic switching are bright, the endeavor to develop a high-port-count MEMS-based OXC involves overcoming challenges in MEMS design and fabrication, optical packaging, and mirror control. Due to the interdependence of many design parameters, manufacturing tolerances, and performance requirements, careful trade-offs must be made in MEMS device design as well as system design. We provide an overview of the market demand, various design trade-offs, and multidisciplinary system considerations for building reliable and manufacturable large MEMS-based OXCs.

Thermal compensators for waveguide DBR laser sources

Abstract: A waveguide DBR laser or waveguide DBR laser array may be comprised of a semiconductor gain element, or a series of semiconductor gain elements, in combination with a waveguide grating functioning as a resonant cavity end reflector for lasing operation comprising either an optical fiber having a fiber grating (fiber DBR laser) or a planar waveguide (planar waveguide DBR laser). The gain element may be comprised of a laser diode which has high efficient AR coating on its front facet so that it functions as a modulated gain element in a resonant cavity established between its rear HR facet and the grating formed in the external waveguide. Disclosed are ways to form this resonant cavity so that gain element modulation rates can be carried out in excess of 2 Gb/sec with suppression of longitudinal mode hops and/or with trimming to compensate for wavelength changes, rendering the waveguide DBR laser or waveguide DBR laser array highly suitable for WDM transmitter, dense WDM transmission systems and other communications applications.