C. Delezoide

ORCHESTRA - Optical performance monitoring enabling flexible networking

An optical network, like any system, has to be observable before it can become subject to optimization, and this is the main capability that ORCHESTRA project introduces. ORCHESTRAs high observability will rely on information provided by the coherent transceivers that can be extended, almost for free, to operate as software defined optical performance monitors (soft-OPM). Novel digital signal processing (DSP) OPM algorithms will be developed and combined with a novel hierarchical monitoring plane, cross-layer optimization algorithms and active-control functionalities. ORCHESTRA vision is to close the control loop, enabling true network dynamicity and unprecedented network capacity efficiency.

On the performance prediction of optical transmission systems in presence of filtering

We investigate the impact of optical filtering from routing nodes in optical networks, and how to predict it. From measurements in presence of tight optical filtering, we propose a new method relying on an extended back-to-back model for improved prediction of the quality of transmission.

Polarization-, carrier-, and format-selectable optical flow generation based on a multi-flow transmitter using passive polymers

In this paper we present a multi-flow transmitter developed within the EU project PANTHER and we evaluate its first proof-of-concept demonstration of up to two single- or dual-polarization optical flows with selectable wavelength, m-QAM modulation format, number of carriers and destination. Multiflow operation is realized by two polymer boards allowing optical carrier management and optional polarization multiplexing on chip. Optical carrier generation is performed also on chip using three tunable InP gain chips hybridly integrated on the input polyboard. Single and dual optical flow generation is feasible with appropriate distribution of the client data in the digital domain and encapsulation into OTN containers. Configuration of the electrical and optical transmitter resources is performed via a developed software defined optics (SDO) platform residing on top of the transmitter and acting as the interface between any software defined switch and the physical layer transport equipment. The transmitter has been evaluated within a flexible network node comprising programmable flexible wavelength selective switches (WSSs). Two single-flow scenarios based on a dual-polarization m-QAM signal and a two-carrier m-QAM optical flow and dual-flow scenarios based on two independent m-QAM signals have been evaluated at 28 Gbaud after transmission over 100 km standard single mode fiber (SSMF).

Why Pulse Shape for Cost-sensitive Metro Networks Should Differ from Optimal Pulse Shape for Long-haul Networks

In metro networks, where node filters are among the largest contributors to impairments, we experimentally show that long-haul optimized signal shapes may turn suboptimal when laser frequency accuracy and filter frequency mismatches are accounted for.