Dimitrios Klonidis

Dynamic optical-network architectures and technologies for existing and emerging grid services

This paper presents solutions towards an efficient and intelligent network infrastructure for Grid services, taking advantage of recent developments in optical-networking technologies. Two lambda-Grid network architectures based on extensions to existing wavelength-switched network infrastructure are discussed. These network solutions aim to provide a user-centric Grid environment, specifically for data-intensive and e-science applications. Furthermore, a novel solution towards an intelligent and ubiquitous photonic-Grid network based on optical burst switching (OBS) is proposed. The proposed solution utilizes active optical burst-switched routers and advanced protocols in order to provide a programmable photonic-Grid network infrastructure for evolving data-intensive and emerging Grid applications.

Investigation of 10-Gb/s RSOA-Based Upstream Transmission in WDM-PONs Utilizing Optical Filtering and Electronic Equalization

Enhanced upstream transmission at 10 Gb/s using a low-bandwidth reflective semiconductor optical amplifier is demonstrated and discussed for extended wavelength- division-multiplexing passive-optical-network applications. Significant improvement in terms of transmission performance is achieved with the use of electronic equalization and optimum filter offset placed at the receiver (optical line terminal) end only. According to filtering detuning, an analytical discussion is presented, explaining the bandwidth enhancement achieved with the proposed technique. The experimental studies consider the benefits of the electronic feed-forward and decision-feedback equalization as well as the required optimum offset optical filtering characteristics.

Experimental Demonstration of an Impairment Aware Network Planning and Operation Tool for Transparent/Translucent Optical Networks

Core optical networks using reconfigurable optical switches and tunable lasers appear to be on the road towards widespread deployment and could evolve to all-optical mesh networks in the coming future. Considering the impact of physical layer impairments in the planning and operation of all-optical (and translucent) networks is the main focus of the Dynamic Impairment Constraint Optical Networking (DICONET) project. The impairment aware network planning and operation tool (NPOT) is the main outcome of DICONET project, which is explained in detail in this paper. The key building blocks of the NPOT, consisting of network description repositories, the physical layer performance evaluator, the impairment aware routing and wavelength assignment engines, the component placement modules, failure handling, and the integration of NPOT in the control plane are the main contributions of this study. Besides, the experimental result of DICONET proposal for centralized and distributed control plane integration schemes and the performance of the failure handling in terms of restoration time is presented in this study.

Quantifying spectrum, cost, and energy efficiency in fixed-grid and flex-grid networks [Invited]

Single and multi-carrier networks offering channel rates up to 400 Gb/s are evaluated under realistic reach parameters. It is found that efficient spectrum utilization and fine bit-rate granularity are essential to achieve cost and energy efficiency. Additionally, the break-even cost of flexible orthogonal frequency division multiplexing transponders is examined under different settings. The break-even cost of a flexible transponder corresponds to the cost value for which the total cost of the network is equal to that of the related single-line-rate network. The impact of the traffic load, the additional cost required for flex-grid optical cross connects, the cost of spectrum, as well as the cost of fixed-grid transponders is examined.

10 Gb/s full-duplex bidirectional transmission with RSOA-based ONU using detuned optical filtering and decision feedback equalization

Full-duplex bidirectional transmission at 10 Gb/s is demonstrated for extended wavelength division multiplexed passive optical network (WDM-PON) applications, achieving transmission distances up to 25 km of standard single mode fiber (SSMF) when using a low-bandwidth (approximately 1.2 GHz) reflective semiconductor optical amplifier (RSOA) for signal re-modulation at the optical network unit (ONU). The system is assisted by optimum offset filtering at the optical line terminal (OLT)-receiver and the performance is further improved with the use of decision-feedback equalization (DFE). Chromatic dispersion (CD) and Rayleigh Backscattering (RB) effects are considered and analyzed.

Spectrally and spatially flexible optical network planning and operations

The advent of spectrally flexible (a.k.a. elastic) optical networking is widely identified as the next generation optical network solution that permits varying bandwidth demands to be dynamically assigned over flexible spectral containers, targeting optimum use of the available network resources. Additionally, the adoption of the space dimension is identified as a promising solution for the capacity expansion of future networks, while novel spatial-spectral switching solutions show that the flexible networking concept can be further expanded over both the spatial and spectral dimensions. This article provides an overview of the latest developments and possible approaches with respect to flexible optical networking and the emerging benefits that spatially flexible networking approaches can offer. The focus is on the network planning and resource optimization functions, the main network operations related to fragmentation and IP/optical layer integration, and the control plane solutions.

OPSnet: design and demonstration of an asynchronous high-speed optical packet switch

This paper presents the results of the optical packet switched network (OPSnet) project, which investigated the design of an asynchronous optical packet switch suitable for the core of an optical transport network (OTN). The requirements for the switch were to control and route variable-length packets transmitted at bit rates beyond 100 Gbit/s. The subsystems and techniques used are analyzed and presented. Fast header encoding and passive decoding is based on the differential phase-shift keying (DPSK) method. The dual-pump four-wave mixing (d-p FWM) wavelength-conversion technique, in combination with an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG), is utilized for packet switching. An advanced and fully controllable mechanism for the packet-switch control is presented, which is implemented on field programmable gate array (FPGA) technology. The control wavelength is generated using a tunable laser, the actual wavelength and new header values are provided utilizing fast header recognition and look-up tables. The integration of the subsystems is discussed, and the results of a four-output port asynchronous packet-switch demonstrator operating at 40 Gbit/s are presented. Finally, the switch limitations are examined and design issues are discussed.

Design Characteristics for a Full-Duplex IM/IM Bidirectional Transmission at 10 Gb/s Using Low Bandwidth RSOA

In this paper, the optimum design characteristics and the transmission performance limits of an intensity modulation full-duplex bidirectional transmission system at 10 Gb/s are experimentally studied and presented for application in next-generation-extended wavelength-division-multiplexed passive optical networks. A low-bandwidth (~1.2 GHz) reflective semiconductor optical amplifier (RSOA) is utilized at the optical network unit (ONU) site of the system. Its remodulation properties and performance are examined for both continuous wave and modulated downstream signal, stemming from the optical line terminal (OLT). The techniques adopted to optimize performance are: 1) the use of detuned optical filtering at the OLT receiver that takes advantage of the RSOA chirp and 2) the use of decision feedback equalization (DFE). The extinction ratio of the downstream signal and the driving operation point of the RSOA are examined experimentally in order to find the optimum conditions for the bidirectional transmission. Moreover, the impact of patterning effects in the performance of the system is evaluated. Finally, the additional performance improvement that is achieved with the use of DFE technique is shown.

Dynamic behavior of wavelength converters based on FWM in SOAs

As wavelength converters based on four-wave mixing (FWM) in semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) attract more attention, dynamic effects and wavelength dependent performance become key aspects to be investigated. Such issues are particularly important, as complex configurations are likely to be used to overcome challenges like tunability and polarization dependence. In this paper a numerical model is used to predict the dynamic performance of three FWM configurations and an analytical model is used to derive design rules. First, the wavelength dependent behavior of a wavelength converter is investigated and the requirement for a widely tunable converter is identified. Secondly, a configuration for extinction ratio (ER) improvement is studied and novel design rules are obtained analytically, tested experimentally and explained by the numerical model; experimental results with ER improvement at 10 Gb/s were achieved for the first time. The third configuration studied is a dual-pump arrangement enabling wide tunability. Fixed input/tunable output and tunable input/fixed output configurations are discussed in terms of optical signal-to-noise ratio and tunability. Design rules are extracted and verified for all three configurations that are likely to be deployed: simple wavelength converters, regenerating converters and tunable wavelength converters.

Comparison of Spectral and Spatial Super-Channel Allocation Schemes for SDM Networks

We evaluate the advantages of using the extra dimension introduced by space-division multiplexing (SDM) for dynamic bandwidth-allocation purposes in a flexible optical network. In that respect, we aim to compare spectral and spatial super-channel (Sp-Ch) allocation policies in an SDM network based on bundles of SMFs (to eliminate coupling between spatial dimensions from the study) and to investigate the role of modulation format selection in the blocking probability performance with an emphasis on the spectral efficiency (SE)/reach tradeoff for different multiline-rate scenarios, created either by changing the number of sub-channels (Sb-Ch), or by employing different modulation formats. Our network-performance results show that DP-8QAM -in a multichannel (MC) single-modulation-format system assuming ITU-T 50-GHz WDM Sb-Ch spectrum occupation-offers the best compromise between SE and optical reach for both spectral and spatial Sp-Ch allocation policies. They also reveal that an MC multimodulation-format system improves the network performance, particularly for spectral Sp-Ch allocation with Sb-Ch spectrum occupation of 37.5 GHz on the 12.5-GHz grid. Additionally, as another important contribution of the paper, we investigate, for spatial Sp-Ch allocation, the performance of several SDM switching options: independent switching (InS), which offers highest flexibility, joint-switching (JoS), which routes all spatial modes as a single entity, and fractional-joint switching, which separates out the spatial modes into sub-sets of spatial modes which are routed independently. JoS is proved to offer a similar performance to that of InS for particular network load profiles, while allowing a significant reduction in the number of wavelength-selective switches.