Norbert Hanik

Next-generation 100-gigabit metro ethernet (100 GbME) using multiwavelength optical rings

This paper investigates the challenges for developing the current local area network (LAN)-based Ethernet protocol into a technology for future network architectures that is capable of satisfying dynamic traffic demands with hard service guarantees using high-bit-rate channels (80...100 Gb/s). The objective is to combine high-speed optical transmission and physical interfaces (PHY) with a medium access control (MAC) protocol, designed to meet the service guarantees in future metropolitan-area networks (MANs). Ethernet is an ideal candidate for the extension into the MAN as it allows seamless compatibility with the majority of existing LANs. The proposed extension of the MAC protocol focuses on backward compatibility as well as on the exploitation of the wavelength domain for routing of variable traffic demands. The high bit rates envisaged will easily exhaust the capacity of a single optical fiber in the C band and will require network algorithms optimizing the reuse of wavelength resources. To investigate this, four different static and dynamic optical architectures were studied that potentially offer advantages over current link-based designs. Both analytical and numerical modeling techniques were applied to quantify and compare the network performance for all architectures in terms of achievable throughput, delay, and the number of required wavelengths and to investigate the impact of nonuniform traffic demands. The results show that significant resource savings can be achieved by using end-to-end dynamic lightpath allocation, but at the expense of high delay.

DSP complexity of mode-division multiplexed receivers

The complexities of common equalizer schemes are analytically analyzed in this paper in terms of complex multiplications per bit. Based on this approach we compare the complexity of mode-division multiplexed digital signal processing algorithms with different numbers of multiplexed modes in terms of modal dispersion and distance. It is found that training symbol based equalizers have significantly lower complexity compared to blind approaches for long-haul transmission. Among the training symbol based schemes, OFDM requires the lowest complexity for crosstalk compensation in a mode-division multiplexed receiver. The main challenge for training symbol based schemes is the additional overhead required to compensate modal crosstalk, which increases the data rate. In order to achieve 2000 km transmission, the effective modal dispersion must therefore be below 6 ps/km when the OFDM specific overhead is limited to 10%. It is concluded that for few mode transmission systems the reduction of modal delay is crucial to enable long-haul performance.

Reduced Complexity Digital Back-Propagation Methods for Optical Communication Systems

Next-generation optical communication systems will continue to push the ( bandwidth · distance) product towards its physical limit. To address this enormous demand, the usage of digital signal processing together with advanced modulation formats and coherent detection has been proposed to enable data-rates as high as 400 Gb/s per channel over distances in the order of 1000 km. These technological breakthroughs have been made possible by full compensation of linear fiber impairments using digital equalization algorithms. While linear equalization techniques have already matured over the last decade, the next logical focus is to explore solutions enabling the mitigation of the Kerr effect induced nonlinear channel impairments. One of the most promising methods to compensate for fiber nonlinearities is digital back-propagation (DBP), which has recently been acknowledged as a universal compensator for fiber propagation impairments, albeit with high computational requirements. In this paper, we discuss two proposals to reduce the hardware complexity required by DBP. The first confirms and extends published results for non-dispersion managed link, while the second introduces a novel method applicable to dispersion managed links, showing complexity reductions in the order of 50% and up to 85%, respectively. The proposed techniques are validated by comparing results obtained through post-processing of simulated and experimental data, employing single channel and WDM configurations, with advanced modulation formats, such as quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) and 16-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (16-QAM). The considered net symbol rate for all cases is 25 GSymbol/s. Our post-processing results show that we can significantly reduce the hardware complexity without affecting the system performance. Finally, a detailed analysis of the obtained reduction is presented for the case of dispersion managed link in terms of number of required complex multiplications per transmitted bit.

Optimization of pre- and post-dispersion compensation schemes for 10-Gbits/s NRZ links using standard and dispersion compensating fibers

We perform a systematic numerical optimization of pre- and post-compensation normalized sections using standard and dispersion compensating fibers for non-return to zero 10-Gbits/s single channel systems. By independently varying the power at the different types of fibers inputs and the compensation ratio, we find that the post-compensation performs better than precompensation at the expense of stricter parameter tolerance. Moreover, we show that both pre- and post-compensated systems can be significantly improved by using passive predistortion at the transmitter.

Calculation of Mutual Information for Partially Coherent Gaussian Channels With Applications to Fiber Optics

The mutual information between a complex-valued channel input and its complex-valued output is decomposed into four parts based on polar coordinates: an amplitude term, a phase term, and two mixed terms. Numerical results for the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel with various inputs show that, at high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the amplitude and phase terms dominate the mixed terms. For the AWGN channel with a Gaussian input, analytical expressions are derived for high SNR. The decomposition method is applied to partially coherent channels and a property of such channels called “spectral loss” is developed. Spectral loss occurs in nonlinear fiber-optic channels and it may be one effect that needs to be taken into account to explain the behavior of the capacity of nonlinear fiber-optic channels.

On achievable rates for long-haul fiber-optic communications.

Lower bounds on mutual information (MI) of long-haul optical fiber systems for hard-decision and soft-decision decoding are studied. Ready-to-use expressions to calculate the MI are presented. Extensive numerical simulations are used to quantify how changes in the optical transmitter, receiver, and channel affect the achievable transmission rates of the system. Special emphasis is put to the use of different quadrature amplitude modulation formats, channel spacings, digital back-propagation schemes and probabilistic shaping. The advantages of using MI over the prevailing Q-factor as a figure of merit of coded optical systems are also highlighted.

Pilot-tone-based nonlinearity compensation for optical OFDM systems

We propose a pilot-tone based phase noise compensation method for the mitigation of nonlinearities in OFDM transmission. This scheme allows for the compensation of XPM-induced transmission impairments without direct knowledge of the optical field of the co-propagating channels.

On the Effect of FWM in Coherent Optical OFDM Systems

We derive the channel capacity of CO-OFDM systems limited by FWM. Simulations confirm that Peak-to-Average-Power-Ratio reduction techniques are suitable for FWM mitigation. These techniques can utilize the decreased capacity to significantly increase the system reach.

PAPR reduction techniques for coherent optical OFDM transmission

In coherent optical OFDM systems, the large peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) gives rise to signal impairments through the nonlinearity of modulator and fiber. We review the most prominent PAPR reduction techniques that have been proposed for mitigating the impairments with regard to their reduction capability, computational complexity and redundancy. Simulation results are presented for Clipping, Selected Mapping, Active Constellation Extension and Trellis Shaping.

Real-time 93.8-Gb/s polarization-multiplexed OFDM transmitter with 1024-point IFFT

We demonstrate a 93.8-Gb/s real-time optical OFDM transmitter with 1024-point IFFT using polarization-multiplexing and 4-QAM modulation. A required OSNR of 26.5 dB is measured for a BER of 10−3.