Marco Presi

Multiple wavelength conversion for WDM multicasting by FWM in an SOA

Using multipump four-wave mixing in a semiconductor optical amplifier, we demonstrate a simple scheme for multicasting an input nonreturn-to-zero 10-Gb/s signal to six different output wavelengths, all compliant with a 200-GHz channel grid. The signals are successfully transmitted in a metro-like system.

1.28 terabit/s (32x40 Gbit/s) wdm transmission system for free space optical communications

We review a novel free space optical (FSO) system that represents a significant breakthrough in the area of FSO communications. The system encompasses a pair of novel terminals: these allow direct and transparent optical connection to common single mode fibers and include a dedicated electronic control unit that effectively tracks the signal beam wandering due to atmospheric turbulence and mechanical vibrations. Further improvement in the signal power stabilization is achieved by means of saturated EDFAs. These solutions allow to realize a new FSO system, which is tested in a double-pass FSO link between two buildings in Pisa, Italy. When the terminals are fed by common WDM signals they allow enough power budget and margins to support a record high capacity transmission (32times40 Gbit/s), with a enormous improvement of stability (six hours with no error burst). During day-long transmission, the system behavior has been deeply characterized to correlate any increase of bit error ratio (BER) to the FSO control parameters.

Single and multicast wavelength conversion at 40 Gb/s by means of fast nonlinear polarization switching in an SOA

We experimentally demonstrate all-optical wavelength conversion of a 40-Gb/s nonreturn-to-zero signal by means of nonlinear polarization switching in a single semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). Using a highly nonlinear SOA optimized for very fast gain recovery time, we observe no appreciable penalty for the conventional (single) wavelength conversion. We also obtain, for the first time by using this technique, the simultaneous multiconversion to different wavelengths (four on a 200-GHz frequency grid) of an input signal.

40-GHz all-optical clock extraction using a semiconductor-assisted fabry-Pe/spl acute/rot filter

We obtain 40-Gb/s all-optical clock recovery by means of a very simple scheme. We use a high finesse low-loss Fabry-Pe/spl acute/rot filter and a semiconductor optical amplifier acting as an amplitude equalizer. The recovered clock signal shows large locking range, low amplitude fluctuation, and limited time jitter.

Towards ultra-dense wavelength-to-the-user: The approach of the COCONUT project

This paper presents the high-level COCONUT architecture of an optical access network based on coherent technology, supporting ultra-dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM). The COCONUT network should allow for seamless evolution from present PON architectures, but also support new emerging applications such as mobile back-haul and front-haul. Coherent techniques will hence allow serving a higher number of users, thanks to ultra-dense WDM, and reaching higher power budget, thanks to higher sensitivity. These features should allow for economy of scale and network consolidation. Although coherent solutions are well-developed for core networks, the prohibitive cost of their optical and electronic parts makes them unsuitable for the massive deployment of access networks. To this aim, COCONUT will address realization of coherent transmitter/receivers exploiting low-cost components and simple electronics, so that the cost of typical line terminals would be affordable to the end-users. The paper presents an overview of the target results and key issues that are addressed by the COCONUT partners.

A Bidirectional WDM/TDM-PON Using DPSK Downstream Signals and a Narrowband AWG

We present an innovative architecture to realize a single feeder bidirectional amplified wavelength-division-multiplexing/time-division-multiplexing passive optical network based on modified nonreturn-to-zero differential phase-shift keying (DPSK) downstream signals at 20 Gb/s and a narrowband arrayed waveguide grating (AWG). The AWG plays at the same time the role of channel distributor, simultaneous demodulator for all DPSK channels, and eliminates the need for chromatic dispersion compensation. A saturated semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) provides bidirectional amplification to compensate the splitter losses. The remodulated upstream signals are obtained at 1 Gb/s by means of a reflective SOA. Experimental results show error-free operation on both downstream and upstream signal.

Enhancing Resilience to Rayleigh Crosstalk by Means of Line Coding and Electrical Filtering

We demonstrate a technique that ameliorates the performance of bidirectional systems impaired by in-band Rayleigh crosstalk, which is common in passive optical access networks based on centralized remote wavelength feeding. The technique is based on the combined use of a suitable line coding and ad hoc postdetection electrical filtering. Therefore, it can be seamless implemented in optical access systems and it is easily scalable with the data rate. We experimentally assess the technique by using a 8B10B coded 1.25-Gb/s signal. We report an increased tolerance to the signal-to-crosstalk ratio by about 5 dB.

A 80 km reach fully passive WDM-PON based on reflective ONUs

We propose a novel line coding combination (Inverse RZ coding in downlink and RZ in uplink) that extends the reach of WDM Passive Optical Networks based on Reflective SOAs with no in-line amplification. We achieved full downstream remodulation even when feeding the reflective SOA with power levels as low as -35 dBm, thus increasing the system power budget. We experimentally assessed this scheme for a fully passive, full-duplex and symmetrical 1.25 Gb/s WDM-PON over a 80 km G.652 feeder.

1.28-Tb/s (32

We successfully transmitted a 1.28-Tb/s (32 times 40 Gb/s) wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) signal over a free-space optic (FSO) link, for the first time. We used a novel pair of FSO terminals, transparently connected to optical fibers, to transmit/receive the WDM channels over a double-pass FSO path between two buildings (2 times 210 m). Limited penalty on all 40-Gb/s channels and high stability was observed. Furthermore, long-term measurements of the system performance indicate a high improvement in reliability, which makes it a promising alternative for future deployment.

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We experimentally investigate the real transparency of four-wave mixing (FWM) in semiconductor optical amplifiers to modulation formats involving intensity, phase, and polarization multiplexing. We exploit two different FWM polarization-independent schemes (that make use of two pumps) to wavelength-convert 40 Gb/s single-polarization and 80 Gb/s polarization-multiplexed signals in case of both nonreturn-to-zero ON -OFF keying (NRZ-OOK) and NRZ differential phase-shift keying modulation formats. We found that, although FWM conversion is transparent to modulation formats employing phase and intensity, polarization-multiplexed signals pose serious limitations to all-optical processing transparency.