Determining the maximum signal power in 10 Gbit/s WDM optical networks

Abstract

Nowadays in optical networks there is a trend line to extend the maximum transmission distance. Several techniques are known; however, the simplest one is to increase the signal power in the optical fiber. The task of minimizing the number of inline amplifiers in order to increase the deployed system’s cost effectiveness leads to increasing the signal power. The only problem is the nonlinear behavior of the optical fiber which limits the signal power to be inserted into the optical fibers. In this paper, we present a model to calculate analytically the signal quality deterioration due to nonlinear effects at the receiver point. As a result, we give the exact value of the optimal signal power at the transmitter point or at the output of the inline amplifiers for 10 Gbit/s wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) systems.