Konstantinos Vyrsokinos

A 60 GHz Radio-Over-Fiber Network Architecture for Seamless Communication With High Mobility

We demonstrate a 60 GHz broadband picocellular Radio-over-Fiber network architecture that enables seamless connectivity for highly mobile end-users. Its seamless communication capabilities arise by the supported handover scheme that relies on a novel Moving Extended Cell (MEC) concept. MEC exploits user-centric virtual groups of adjacent cells that transmit the same data content to the user and utilizes a switch mechanism for restructuring the virtual multi-cell area according to the users mobility pattern, so that a virtual antenna group moves together with the mobile user. We present the theoretical formulation for MEC and show that it can provide zero packet loss and call dropping probability values in high-rate wireless services for a broad range of mobile speeds up to 40 m/sec, independently of the fiber link distances. We also demonstrate the physical layer network architecture and switch mechanism both for a RoF network with a single 60 GHz radio frequency (RF) over each wavelength, as well as for a RoF configuration supporting simultaneous multi-RF channel transmission over each optical wavelength. The performance of the multi-RF-over-lambda network implementation is evaluated via simulations showing successful 100 Mb/s radio signal transmission over fiber links longer than 30 km. To this end, MEC can enable seamless connectivity and bandwidth guarantees in 60 GHz picocellular RoF networks being also capable of serving multiple users over the same wavelength in a RF frequency-division-multiplexed (FDM) approach.

10-Gb/s all-optical half-adder with interferometric SOA gates

In this letter, we report an all-optical module that generates simultaneously four Boolean operations at 10 Gb/s. The circuit employs two cascaded ultrafast nonlinear interferometers and requires only two signals as inputs. The first gate is configured as a 2 /spl times/ 2 exchange-bypass switch and provides OR and AND logical operations. The second gate generates XOR (SUM bit) and AND (CARRY bit) Boolean operations and constitutes a binary half-adder. Successful operation of the system is demonstrated with 10-Gb/s return-to-zero pseudorandom data patterns.

Active plasmonics in WDM traffic switching applications

With metal stripes being intrinsic components of plasmonic waveguides, plasmonics provides a “naturally” energy-efficient platform for merging broadband optical links with intelligent electronic processing, instigating a great promise for low-power and small-footprint active functional circuitry. The first active Dielectric-Loaded Surface Plasmon Polariton (DLSPP) thermo-optic (TO) switches with successful performance in single-channel 10 Gb/s data traffic environments have led the inroad towards bringing low-power active plasmonics in practical traffic applications. In this article, we introduce active plasmonics into Wavelength Division Multiplexed (WDM) switching applications, using the smallest TO DLSPP-based Mach-Zehnder interferometric switch reported so far and showing its successful performance in 4×10 Gb/s low-power and fast switching operation. The demonstration of the WDM-enabling characteristics of active plasmonic circuits with an ultra-low power × response time product represents a crucial milestone in the development of active plasmonics towards real telecom and datacom applications, where low-energy and fast TO operation with small-size circuitry is targeted.

A 320 Gb/s-Throughput Capable 2

We demonstrate a 2 × 2 silicon-plasmonic router architecture with 320 Gb/s throughput capabilities for optical interconnect applications. The proposed router platform relies on a novel dual-ring Dielectric-Loaded Surface Plasmon Polariton (DLSPP) 2 × 2 switch heterointegrated on a Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) photonic motherboard that is responsible for traffic multiplexing and header processing functionalities. We present experimental results of a Poly-methyl-methacrylate (PMMA)-loaded dual-resonator DLSPP waveguide structure that uses two racetrack resonators of 5.5 μm radius and 4 μ m-long straight sections and operates as a passive add/drop filtering element. We derive its frequency-domain transfer function, confirm its add/drop experimental spectral response, and proceed to a circuit-level model for dual-ring DLSPP designs supporting 2 × 2 thermo-optic switch operation. The validity of our circuit-level modeled 2 × 2 thermo-optic switch is verified by means of respective full vectorial three-dimensional Finite Element Method (3D-FEM) simulations. The router setup is completed by means of two 4 × 1 SOI multiplexing circuits, each one employing four cascaded second order micro-ring configurations with 100 GHz spaced resonances. Successful interconnection between the DLSPP switching matrix and the SOI circuitry is performed through a butt-coupling design that, as shown via 3D-FEM analysis, allows for small coupling losses of as low as 2.6 dB. The final router architecture is evaluated through a co-operative simulation environment, demonstrating successful 2 × 2 routing for two incoming 4-wavelength Non-Return-to-Zero (NRZ) optical packet streams with 40 Gb/s line-rates.

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We present a new technique for extending the decay time of the impulse response function of a Fabry-Perot filter while simultaneously maintaining a large bandwidth. It involves double passing through the filter and it can be used for the easy multiplication of the repetition rate of optical sources. We apply the concept to a 10-GHz pulse train to demonstrate experimentally the rate quadruplication to 40 GHz.

2 Silicon-Plasmonic Router Architecture for Optical Interconnects

A comprehensive theoretical analysis of end-fire coupling between dielectric-loaded surface plasmon polariton and rib/wire silicon-on-insulator (SOI) waveguides is presented. Simulations are based on the 3-D vector finite element method. The geometrical parameters of the interface are varied in order to identify the ones leading to optimum performance, i.e., maximum coupling efficiency. Fabrication tolerances about the optimum parameter values are also assessed. In addition, the effect of a longitudinal metallic stripe gap on coupling efficiency is quantified, since such gaps have been observed in fabricated structures. Finally, theoretical results are compared against insertion loss measurements, carried out for two distinct sets of samples comprising rib and wire SOI waveguides, respectively.

Rate multiplication by double-passing fabry-Perot filtering

We demonstrate analytical frequency-domain transfer function expressions for an optical random access memory (RAM) cell that employs two SOA-based ON/OFF switches and two coupled SOA-MZI gates forming an optical flip-flop. Our theoretical model relies on first-order perturbation theory approximations applied for the first time to coupled optical switching structures, resulting to an optical RAM cell frequency response that allows for a qualitative and quantitative analysis of optical RAM memory speed and performance characteristics and their dependence on certain RAM cell device parameters. We show that the transfer function of an optical RAM cell and its incorporated flip-flop device exhibits periodic resonance frequencies resembling the behavior of optical ring resonator configurations. Its free spectral range is mainly dictated by the length of the waveguide that enables the coupling of the two SOA-MZI gates, yielding this coupling length as the dominant memory speed determining factor. The obtained results are in close agreement with experimental observations, demonstrating that optimized RAM cell designs with waveguide coupling lengths lower than 5 mm can enable RAM operation at memory speeds well beyond 40 GHz.

Interfacing Dielectric-Loaded Plasmonic and Silicon Photonic Waveguides: Theoretical Analysis and Experimental Demonstration

We demonstrate experimental evidence of the data capture and the low-energy thermo-optic tuning credentials of dielectric-loaded plasmonic structures integrated on a silicon chip. We show 7-nm thermo-optical tuning of a plasmonic racetrack-resonator with less than 3.3 mW required electrical power and verify error-free 10-Gb/s transmission through a 60-μm-long dielectric-loaded plasmonic waveguide.

Memory Speed Analysis of Optical RAM and Optical Flip-Flop Circuits Based on Coupled SOA-MZI Gates

A 40-Gb/s asynchronous self-routing network and node architecture that exploits bit and packet level optical signal processing to perform synchronization, forwarding, and switching in the optical domain is presented. Optical packets are self-routed on a hop-by-hop basis through the network by using stacked optical tags, each representing a specific optical node. Each tag contains necessary control signals for configuring the node-switching matrix and forwarding each packet to the appropriate outgoing link and onto the next hop. In order to investigate the feasibility of their approach physical-layer simulations are performed, modeling each optical subsystem of the node showing acceptable signal quality and end-to-end bit error rates. In the All-optical self-RouTer EMploying bIt and packet-level procesSing (ARTEMIS) control plane, a timed/delayed resource reservation-based signaling scheme is employed combined with a load-balancing feedback-based contention-avoidance mechanism that can guarantee a high performance in terms of blocking probability and end-to-end delay

Data Transmission and Thermo-Optic Tuning Performance of Dielectric-Loaded Plasmonic Structures Hetero-Integrated on a Silicon Chip

We demonstrate Wavelength Division Multiplexed (WDM)-enabled transmission of 480Gb/s aggregate data traffic (12x40Gb/s) as well as high-quality 1x2 thermo-optic tuning in Dielectric-Loaded Surface Plasmon Polariton Waveguides (DLSPPWs). The WDM transmission characteristics have been verified through BER measurements by exploiting the heterointegration of a 60 μm-long straight DLSPPW on a Silicon-on-Insulator waveguide platform, showing error-free performance for six out of the twelve channels. High-quality thermo-optic tuning has been achieved by utilizing Cycloaliphatic-Acrylate-Polymer as an efficient thermo-optic polymer loading employed in a dual-resonator DLSPPW switching structure, yielding a 9 nm wavelength shift and extinction ratio values higher than 10 dB at both output ports when heated to 90°C.