Multiple Optical Carriers Research Articles

Wavelength division multiplexing of free space optical system under the effect of oil fire smoke

Abstract In this paper, two wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) based free space optical (FSO) systems (single, multiple) are proposed and their performance is compared on the basis of Q-factor, eye opening diagrams and the total power of the received signal for different link distances under effect of oil fire smoke. The obtained results illustrate that the values of WDM single FSO of (1 km) distance exhibit good performance based on (Q-factor ≥ 6), but it was out of line performance at (2 km) FSO distance. The values of (1 km) distance exhibit good performance. On the other hand, the results of the FSO distance (2 km) indicate poor performance without signal loss. The presented results show that the eye opening for all the power values of (1 km) distance for both systems. Moreover, the eye opened only at the highest power value of (2 km) distance for single FSO systems. The eye opened partially at the lowest power of (2 km) distance and became fully opened at the mid-point and highest power values for multiple FSO systems. Thus, the proposed MIMO-FSO systems with multiplexes multiple optical carriers WDM demonstrates better results than SISO-FSO systems with WDM and the well knowing systems under similar atmospheric conditions.

Multi-Band Operation of Flat-Top Supercontinuum Laser Sources With Programmable Repetition Rate up to 50 GHz

We present ultra-broadband flat-topped supercontinuum laser sources with programmable repetition rate, spectral bandwidth, and wavelength regime. Supercontinuum sources with multiband coverage can be achieved by merging high-repetition-rate electro-optic frequency comb techniques with optical line-by-line pulse shaping. Because nonlinear broadening in the optical wave-breaking regime does not provide the required flatness and spectral bandwidth to the comb-based sources, we iteratively manipulate the spectral amplitude and phase of the optical pulse shaper. We implemented here a smooth flat-topped supercontinuum with a 97 nm bandwidth at 10 dB and programmable repetition rate up to 50 GHz by applying a bandwidth-limited quasi-super-Gaussian apodised pulse train to a highly nonlinear medium with programmable super-Gaussian and phase coefficients. This work opens new possibilities for generating robust and coherent multiple optical carriers with further C-bands in optical networks. We believe that the supercontinuum sources based on electro-optic frequency comb and pulse shaping techniques enable the provision of coherent flat-topped optical sources, at least from the L- to S-band with a programmable repetition rate and spectral bandwidth.

Simultaneous transmission of clock and data signals in photonic-assisted WDM passive optical networks

This work reports on the use of a gain-switched vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) optical frequency comb (OFC) to generate multiple optical carriers for applications in future wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) passive optical network (PON) systems. The VCSEL-based OFC system was tested for its ability to simultaneously transmit error-free data signals up to 30 Gbps, and a 50 MHz clock signal proposed to be used for latency monitoring of the network. The system was demonstrated over a fiber distance beyond 20 km. Four optical carrier signals were filtered from the generated OFC. Three of the four optical carriers were combined and amplitude-modulated with 5 and 10 Gbps on–off keying (OOK) data signals. The fourth optical carrier was amplitude-modulated with a 50 MHz clock signal. These four modulated optical carriers were multiplexed and transmitted over 21 km of standard single-mode fiber. When the three data-carrying optical carriers were modulated with 5 Gbps OOK data and multiplexed with the clock-carrying carrier, a negligible transmission penalty was achieved after fiber transmission. When these three data-carrying optical carriers were modulated with 10 Gbps OOK data and multiplexed with a clock-carrying carrier, a maximum transmission penalty of 4.8 dB was achieved after fiber transmission. The system was investigated at a minim bit error rate (BER) of 10 − 9 . A receiver sensitivity of less than − 11 d B m was achieved at both bit rates. The clock signal suffered little effect when transmitted with the three optical carriers at both 5 and 10 Gbps data rate. A power penalty of 15.37 dB, mainly due to fiber attenuation, was experienced in the clock after fiber transmission. Due to the unavailability of the numerical system to quantify the clock performance in terms of phase noise, the phase-noise results could not be provided. Nevertheless, the provided qualitative results were able to show that the transmitted clock integrity was able to be retained after being multiplexed with transmission on the 21 km fiber channel. For the first time, to the best of our knowledge, we have simultaneously reported on data and clock transmission results using a low-power, VCSEL-based OFC to realize a WDM-PON system. These results are attractive as they demonstrate and motivate the possibility of using gain-switched VCSELs as OFC sources in future WDM-PON networks requiring enhanced channel capacity and stringent network latency monitoring to realize intelligent, simple, and power-efficient PON networks.

WDM Network Issues: QOT Impairments, Dynamic Bandwidth Allocation, Modeling and Monitoring Schemes based on ML

Machine Learning (ML) has recently drawn the interest of both academics and professionals in the optical networking area to solve several problems. This trend has been triggered largely by the vast amount of available data (i.e., signal strength metrics, network alerts, etc.) and the large range of optimization criteria available in today's optical networks (such as modulation format, light path routes, transport wavelength, etc.). WDM systems are popular in the telecommunications industry. It increases network bandwidth without laying more cable. WDM technology in optical communication transports multiple optical carrier signals on a single fibre using various wavelengths of laser light. Wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) is an efficient strategy for leveraging the wide bandwidth of optical fibres to meet the rapid rise in demand for bandwidth on the Internet. WDM plays an essential role in both core and access networks in the communication network and faces various issues like its network performance is affected due to QoT impairments, Dynamic Bandwidth Allocation problem, Modeling, and Monitoring issues. Physical impairments are an issue in WDM and can cause calls to be blocked if the transmission quality is calculated in terms of minimum bit-error-rate. Dynamic allocation of bandwidth in WDM provides a crucial challenge for the effective and equal usage of the passive optical network upstream bandwidth when supporting the QoS specifications of various traffic groups. Fast attack monitoring can prevent the failure of vast volumes of data on all-optical networks. So, monitoring and modeling in a WDM network is also a critical issue. To solve these issues in WDM networks, more intelligence resources in scalable optical networks are necessary. ML techniques are demonstrating superiority in solving these issues. In this paper, a small detail about the WDM network is presented. Then, some WDM issues like QOT impairments, Dynamic Bandwidth Allocation, and modeling and monitoring are discussed, and then, in the next section focus on some ML techniques for solving these issues are presented.

Intra-Datacenter Interconnects With a Serialized Silicon Optical Frequency Comb Modulator

Powerful warehouse-scale datacenters form the fabric of cloud computing. Efficient computing requires intra-datacenter interconnects with large capacity, low energy consumption, and high scalability. These unique goals present brand new scientific and technological challenges for short-reach optical communications. Silicon photonics (SiP) modulators are promising for intra-datacenter interconnects for its low energy consumption, with the superiority of low cost, small footprint, and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) compatibility. While currently, the main research focus is to increase the modulation speed of a single SiP modulator for a large interconnect capacity, parallel schemes exhibit better scalability. In this article, we propose intra-datacenter interconnects using dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) techniques with a single SiP optical frequency comb modulator (OFCM) to achieve potential large capacity and high scalability. The SiP-OFCM consists of serially cascaded microring modulators (MRMs). The MRM based SiP-OFCM is intrinsically compatible with DWDM, performing simultaneously data modulation for multiple optical carriers, DWDM demultiplexing and multiplexing functionalities. We demonstrate an interconnect line rate of 400 Gbit/s with a PAM 4 modulation format using the SiP-OFCM. All four DWDM channels exhibit bit-error ratios below the 33% hard-decision forward-error correction threshold after 2-km single-mode fiber transmission.

Free-space transfer of comb-rooted optical frequencies over an 18\u2009km open-air link

Phase-coherent transfer of optical frequencies over a long distance is required for diverse photonic applications, including optical clock dissemination and physical constants measurement. Several demonstrations were made successfully over fiber networks, but not much work has been done yet through the open air where atmospheric turbulence prevails. Here, we use an 18 km outdoor link to transmit multiple optical carriers extracted directly from a frequency comb of a 4.2 THz spectral width. In stabilization to a high-finesse cavity with a 1.5 Hz linewidth, the comb-rooted optical carriers are simultaneously transferred with collective suppression of atmospheric phase noise to −80 dBc Hz−1. Microwaves are also delivered by pairing two separate optical carriers bound with inter-comb-mode coherence, for example a 10 GHz signal with phase noise of −105 dBc Hz−1 at 1 Hz offset. Lastly, an add-on demonstration is given for multi-channel coherent optical communications with the potential of multi-Tbps data transmission in free space.

Fundamental Quantum Limits of Multicarrier Optomechanical Sensors.

Optomechanical sensors involving multiple optical carriers can experience mechanically mediated interactions causing multimode correlations across the optical fields. One instance is laser-interferometric gravitational wave detectors which introduce multiple carrier frequencies for classical sensing and control purposes. An outstanding question is whether such multicarrier optomechanical sensors outperform their single-carrier counterpart in terms of quantum-limited sensitivity. We show that the best precision is achieved by a single-carrier instance of the sensor. For the current LIGO detection system this precision is already reachable.

UWB over fiber transmission to multiple radio access units using all-optical signal processing

An ultra-wideband over fiber architecture is proposed where multiple coherent pulsed optical signals are used for transmitting high data rate signals to five different radio access units (RAUs). The RAUs are placed in a star topology to form a broadcast distributive antenna system architecture. The architecture transmits $$5 \times 1.25$$5?1.25 Gbps data from control unit to the RAUs using a wavelength division multiplexed signal. The multiple pulsed optical carriers forming the wavelength division multiplexed signal are generated using a single continuous wave optical source. The data modulated coherent optical pulsed signals are all-optically converted to electrical Gaussian mono-cycle pulses at the RAUs. The proposed architecture is cost-efficient and gives good bit-error rate results.

Multiple optical carrier generation using frequency mixing in damage resistant multiple QPM device.

We devised a method for the measurement of the phase-matching curve of multiple quasi-phase-matched (QPM) LiNbO3 waveguide under conditions of high-power second-harmonic generation. The data obtained revealed that the phase-matching condition can be preserved due to the high damage resistance of the directly bonded LiNbO3 waveguide. Based on this evaluation, we tried to generate multiple optical carriers using multi-stage frequency mixing in the multiple QPM device. The multiple optical carriers have mutual phase correlation, which is suitable for coherent wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) transmission. We also demonstrated 20 Gb/s quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) signal generation using multiple optical carriers in order to ensure signal quality.

Tunable Single-Passband Microwave Photonic Filter Based on Sagnac Loop and Fabry–Perot Laser Diode**Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 61302026, 61275067 and 61575034, and the Jiangsu Natural Science Foundation under Grant No BK2012432.

A tunable single-passband microwave photonic filter is proposed and demonstrated, based on a laser diode (LD) array with multiple optical carriers and a Fabry–Perot (F-P) laser diode. Multiple optical carriers in conjunction with the F-P LD will realize a filter with multiple passbands. By adjusting the wavelengths of the multiple optical carriers, multiple passbands are merged into a single passband with a broadened bandwidth. By varying the number of the optical carrier, the bandwidth can be adjusted. The central frequency can be tuned by adjusting the wavelength of the multiple optical carriers simultaneously. A single-passband filter implemented by two optical carriers is experimentally demonstrated.

Multiwavelength Laser Module Based on Distribute Feedback Laser Diode for Broadcast and Communication Systems

In this paper, we proposed a cost-effective broadcast signal transmission scheme using a distributed feedback laser diode (DFB-LD) for wavelength-division-multiplexing passive optical network (WDM-PON) systems. The DFB-LD is directly modulated with a single-tone radio frequency signal to generate multiple optical carriers. An optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) is enhanced using a delay interferometer as a double-pass interferometer. Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) and on-off keying (OOK) signals are experimentally demonstrated to test the broadcasting scheme. We measured the bit-error-rate (BER) and the power penalty after the broadcasting OFDM and OOK signals are transmitted through a 25-km single-mode fiber. An excellent performance of BER is achieved for both OOK and OFDM signals. The proposed scheme is a practical and cost-effective solution for broadcast signal transmissions in WDM-PON systems.

Simultaneous MMW generation and up-conversion for WDM-ROF systems based on FP laser

A new wavelength division multiplexing radio-over-fiber (WDM-ROF) scheme based on Fabry-Perot (FP) laser is proposed and demonstrated for simultaneous millimeter-wave (MMW) generation and up-conversion. The tunable optical comb generated by FP laser is served as a cost-effective WDM optical source in central station (CS) and it makes all-optical up-conversion process for all channels simple compared with using a DFB array. All modes from the FP laser are modulated simultaneously by a LiNbO3 Mach-Zehnder modulator (LN-MZM) then. We have systematically compared the performances of MMW generation and up-conversion using LN-MZM based on different modulation schemes. A reflective semiconductor optical amplifiers (RSOA) is used both for the downstream modulation of each channel and for the reduction of mode partition noise (MPN) induced from FP laser. In the scheme, the multiple optical carrier suppression (OCS) modulation shows the highest receiver sensitivity and smallest power penalty over long-distance delivery. In the numerical simulation, 7 WDM channels each carrying 2.5Gb/s baseband signal have been up-converted to 60GHz simultaneously with good performance over 25km single mode fiber (SMF) transmission.

A hybrid lightwave transport system based on a BLS with an OSNR enhancement scheme

A hybrid lightwave transport system based on a broadband light source (BLS) with an optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) enhancement scheme for millimeter-wave (MMW)/radio-over-fiber (RoF)/cable television (CATV) signal transmission is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Unlike traditional hybrid lightwave transport systems for signal transmission, in which a transmitting site needs multiple wavelength-selected distributed feedback laser diodes (DFB LDs) to support various services, such proposed systems employ a phase modulator to provide multiple optical carriers for various applications. Over an 80 km single-mode fiber (SMF) transmission, the bit error rate (BER)/carrier-to-noise ratio (CNR)/composite second-order (CSO)/composite triple-beat (CTB) perform brilliantly for hybrid 100 GHz MMW/50 GHz MMW/10 GHz RoF/550 MHz CATV signal transmission. Such a hybrid lightwave transport system would be attractive for fiber trunk applications to provide broadband integrated services.

Routing, Spectrum, and Transponder Assignment in Elastic Optical Networks

Backbone networks are evolving toward elastic optical network (EON) architecture that allows a flexible and efficient use of spectrum resources. Flexibility in EONs is also guaranteed by emerging sliceable bandwidth variable transponders (SBVTs) that support the simultaneous generation of multiple optical carriers. Such carriers can be used to serve different lightpaths (i.e., slice-ability ), or can be merged into a single high-rate superchannel . SBVTs typically use a dedicated laser to generate each carrier, i.e., multilasers SBVT (ML-SBVT). Alternatively, a multiwavelength source can be used to generate multiple carriers using a single laser, i.e., multiwavelength SBVT (MW-SBVT). MW-SBVT improves the super-channel spectrum efficiency. Indeed, MW-SBVT reduces the intercarrier interference among the subcarriers composing the super-channel; thus, it is possible to reduce the guard bands among subcarriers. With ML-SBVT, each subcarrier suffers from unstableness of the related laser and intercarrier interference may have a huge impact, thus, higher guard bands are needed. On the other hand, the use of a MW-SBVT introduces specific constraints to the routing and spectrum assignment (RSA), because the spacing among the subcarriers is limited to a range of specific values. To take into account the constraints introduced by transponders, this paper integrates the selection of the transponder into RSA; thus, proposing a dynamic routing, spectrum, and transponder assignment (RSTA) scheme supporting both ML-SBVT and MW-SBVT technologies, and aiming to combine the benefits of the two technologies. Simulation results show that the proposed RSTA scheme provides benefits in terms of achieved blocking probability compared to the traditional RSA schemes. Moreover, the achieved results demonstrate that jointly using both SBVT technologies provides significant benefits with respect to the utilization of any single SBVT technology.

Optical up-conversion for WDM-RoF transmission using multiple optical carrier suppression in OFCG

A tunable optical frequency comb generator (OFCG) by cascading an Electro-absorption modulator (EAM) followed by a phase modulator (PM) and an intensity modulator (IM) is proposed for wavelength division multiplexing radio-over-fiber (WDM-RoF) transmission. The generated OFCG serves as the carriers of WDM-RoF system to realize all-optical up-conversion afterwards. In the proposal, each comb line is modulated by the radio-frequency (RF) signal via multiple optical carrier suppression (OCS) after optical comb generation. We have systematically compared the performances of the optical up-conversion based on different modulation schemes. Among three schemes, the OCS modulation scheme shows the highest receiver sensitivity and smallest power penalty over long-distance transmission. What's more, the OCS modulation scheme can be easily implemented with a large number of WDM channels simultaneously without any power saturation or other nonlinear impact. In the numerical simulation, 15 WDM channels each carrying 15Gb/s×5Gb/s baseband signal have been up-converted to 10GHz simultaneously. This method still provides high performance after 20km transmission, which shows simple cost-efficient configuration and good performance over long distance delivery.

100 Gb/s Multicarrier THz Wireless Transmission System With High Frequency Stability Based on A Gain-Switched Laser Comb Source

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a photonic multichannel terahertz (THz) wireless system with up to four optical subcarriers and total capacity as high as 100 Gb/s by employing an externally injected gain-switched laser comb source. Highly coherent multiple optical carriers with different spacing are produced using the gain switching technique. Single- and multichannel Terahertz (THz) wireless signals are generated using heterodyne mixing of modulated single or multiple carriers with one unmodulated optical tone spaced by about 200 GHz. The frequency stability and the phase noise of the gain switched comb laser are evaluated against free-running lasers. Wireless transmission is demonstrated for single and three optical subcarriers modulated with 8 or 10 GBd quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) (48 or 60 Gb/s, respectively) or for four optical subcarriers modulated with 12.5 GBd QPSK (100 Gb/s). The system performance was evaluated for single- and multicarrier wireless THz transmissions at around 200 GHz, with and without 40 km fiber transmission. The system is also modeled to study the effect of the cross talk between neighboring subcarriers for correlated and decorrelated data. This system reduces digital signal processing requirements due to the high-frequency stability of the gain-switched comb source, increases the overall transmission rate, and relaxes the optoelectronic bandwidth requirements.

Paired carriers as a way to reduce quantum noise of multicarrier gravitational-wave detectors

We explore new regimes of laser interferometric gravitational-wave detectors with multiple optical carriers which allow us to reduce the quantum noise of these detectors. In particular, we show that using two carriers with the opposite detunings, homodyne angles, and squeezing angles, but identical other parameters (the antisymmetric carriers), one can suppress the quantum noise in such a way that its spectrum follows the Standard Quantum Limit (SQL) at low frequencies. Relaxing this antisymmetry condition, it is also possible to slightly overcome the SQL in broadband. Combining several such pairs in the xylophone configuration, it is possible to shape the quantum noise spectrum flexibly.

Research on optical true-time delay of multiple optical carriers in phased array antenna

In order to improve the bandwidth and ability to resist electromagnetic interference of phased array antenna, we use the real-time delay technology of optical fiber. By using phase control principle of optically controlled phased array, we deduce the relation formula of time delay and phase control. Based on multiple optical carriers and optical switch delay technology, we analyze design method of optical fiber time delay system and give the results of the experimental test. From the results, we find that the system can improve ability of phased array antenna about phase control and resisting electromagnetic interference in broadband condition.

Direct-detection optical OFDM superchannel for long-reach PON using pilot regeneration

We demonstrate a novel long-reach PON downstream scheme based on the regenerated pilot assisted direct-detection optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DDO-OFDM) superchannel transmission. We use the optical comb source to form DDO-OFDM superchannel, and reserve the center carrier as a seed pilot. The seed pilot is further tracked and reused to generate multiple optical carriers at the local exchange. Each regenerated pilot carrier is selected to beat with an adjacent OFDM sub-band at ONU, so that the electrical bandwidth limitation can be much released compared to the conventional DDO-OFDM superchannel detection. With the proposed proof-of-concept architecture, we experimentally demonstrated a 116.7 Gb/s superchannel OFDM-PON system with transmission reach of 100 km, and 1:64 splitting ratio. We analyze the impact of carrier-to-sideband power ratio (CSPR) on system performance. The experiment result shows that, 5 dB power margin is still remained at ONU using such technique.

RoF transport systems with OSNR enhanced multi-band optical carrier generator

A combination of an economic multi-band optical carrier generator and a novel optical signal to noise ratio (OSNR) enhancement circuit is proposed and demonstrated for radio over fiber (RoF) transport systems. Different from normal RoF transport systems which a central station (CS) needs multiple dedicate wavelength laser diodes (LDs) to support various base stations (BSs), the proposed scheme can employ a single LD to provide multiple optical carriers for various BSs. To verify this scheme, 8 coherent optical carriers are firstly generated using a single LD and a local oscillator (LO). Subsequently, their OSNR values are optimized by the developed OSNR enhancement circuit. An up to 15 dB OSNR enlargement in those optical carriers is experimentally achieved. To demonstrate the practice of the proposal, a pair of those optical carriers is employed to experimentally achieve frequency up-conversion process in a RoF transport system. Clear eye diagram and error free transmission reveal that with a proper carrier selector the proposed scheme can be employed to support multiple RoF transmissions. Furthermore, this proposal also presents a high possibility to achieve 60 GHz RoF transmission using a 10 GHz LO, a LD and a low frequency external modulator.