Intelligent equally weighted multi-task learning for joint OSNR monitoring and modulation format identification

Abstract

A novel scheme for combining modulation format identification (MFI) and optical performance monitoring (OPM) in elastic optical networks using convolutional-neural-network-based and equally weighted multi-task learning is proposed. In this scheme, shared features of optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) and modulation formats (10 GBaud QPSK, QAM8, QAM16, QAM64) are extracted from constellation maps and used for multi-label classification. Simulation results demonstrate that the accuracies of MFI and OSNR can reach 100% stably and continuously. Moreover, we evaluated the robustness of this model in a system with fixed physical parameters and concluded that it is tolerant to chromatic dispersion and transmission distance. This technology predicts an image in ∼0.51 ms. Compared with the general multi-task learning (MTL) scheme, the proposed approach massively saves execution time (∼107 h) by removing weight selection. It is time-efficient and intelligent for OPM equipment that will perform multiple monitoring tasks in next-generation optical networks.