Scott R. Bickham

Design concept for optical fibers with enhanced SBS threshold

We propose a criterion to predict the relative value of the stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) threshold in single-mode optical fibers with different refractive index profiles. We confirm our results by several representative measurements. We show that with the proper profile design one can achieve more than 3 dB increase in the SBS threshold compared to the standard single-mode optical fiber.

Mode-division multiplexed transmission with inline few-mode fiber amplifier

We demonstrate mode-division multiplexed WDM transmission over 50-km of few-mode fiber using the fibers LP01 and two degenerate LP11 modes. A few-mode EDFA is used to boost the power of the output signal before a few-mode coherent receiver. A 6×6 time-domain MIMO equalizer is used to recover the transmitted data. We also experimentally characterize the 50-km few-mode fiber and the few-mode EDFA.

Large effective area fiber

Refractive-index nonlinearities have negligible effect on the performance of short-haul fiber-optic communication links utilizing electronic repeaters. However, in long optical fiber links, nonlinearities can cause severe signal degradations. To mitigate nonlinear effects, new generation of fibers, referred to as large effective-area fibers, have been introduced in recent years. This paper reviews the latest research and development work on these fibers conducted by several research groups around the world. Attention is focused on a class of large effective-area fibers that are based on a depressed-core multiple-cladding design. Transmission properties, including dispersion, dispersion slope, effective area, mode-field diameter, bending loss, polarization-mode dispersion, and cutoff wavelength are discussed. Dispersion-shifted, non-zero dispersion-shifted, and dispersion-flattened designs are addressed. Design optimization, particularly with regard to effective area, bending loss, and polarization-mode dispersion, is elaborated upon. The trade-off between effective-area and bending loss is emphasized. Results for dispersion-shifted and non-zero dispersion-shifted large effective-area fibers with zero polarization-mode dispersion and low bending loss at 1.55 micrometer wavelength are presented.

Fiber-Based Broadband-Access Deployment in the United States

After more than 20 years of research and development, a combination of technological, regulatory, and competitive forces are finally bringing fiber-based broadband access to commercial fruition. The three main approaches-hybrid fiber coax, fiber to the cabinet, and fiber to the home-are each vying for dominance in the industry, and each has significant future potential to grow customers and increase bandwidth and associated-service offerings. Further technical advances and cost reductions will be adopted, eventually bringing performance levels and bandwidth to gigabits-per-second rates when user demand warrants while keeping service costs affordable

Spectrally flat and broadband double-pumped fiber optical parametric amplifiers

We study theoretically and experimentally spectrally flat and broadband double-pumped fiber-optical parametric amplifiers (2P-FOPAs). Closed formulas are derived for the gain ripple in 2P-FOPAs as a function of the pump wavelength separation and power, and the fiber non-linearity and fourth order dispersion coefficients. The impact of longitudinal random variations of the zero dispersion wavelength (lambda(0)) on the gain flatness is investigated. Our theoretical findings are substantiated with experiments using conventional dispersion shifted fibers and highly nonlinear fibers (HNLFs). By using a HNLF having a low variation of lambda0 we demonstrate high gain and flat spectrum (25 +/- 1.5 dB) over 115 nm.

Low delay and large effective area few-mode fibers for mode-division multiplexing

We report graded index few mode fiber designs for mode-division multiplexing and demonstrate a 100-km few-mode fiber span with effective areas larger than 160 μm2 and differential mode group delay of less than 6 ps/km.

25 Gb/s transmission over 820 m of MMF using a multimode launch from an integrated silicon photonics transceiver

A new high bandwidth bend-insensitive MMF optimized for 1310 nm is designed and characterized. 25 Gb/s transmission over a record 820 m length using a multimode launch from an integrated SiPh transceiver at 1310 nm through the new fiber is demonstrated with a power penalty of 3.4 dB at 10(-12) BER. Detailed characteristics of the fiber and transceiver are presented along with BER measurements.

Fiber design considerations for 40 Gb/s systems

In this paper, we review the fundamental advantages and drawbacks of 40-Gb/s systems from a fiber manufacturers perspective. Based on modeling, experimental results, and fundamental understanding, we correlate the fiber design parameters with the expected performance of long-haul systems operating at 40 Gb/s. Nonlinear penalties, dispersion tolerances, modulation formats, polarization-mode dispersion, and Raman amplification are covered. We also present the fiber features required for both metro and submarine networks at this specific data rate.

40 × 112 Gb/s transmission over an unrepeatered 365 km effective area-managed span comprised of ultra-low loss optical fibre

We experimentally demonstrate transmission of 40 × 112 Gb/s PM-QPSK channels over a 365 km unrepeatered span enabled by ultra-low loss fibres in an effective area-managed configuration using only backward-pumped Raman with 25 dB gain and EDFA amplification.

Ghost-pulse generation suppression in phase-modulated 40-Gb/s RZ transmission

40-Gb/s return-to-zero (RZ) transmission in strong dispersion maps is limited by single-channel four-wave mixing. Appropriate phase modulation of the signal suppresses generation of the ghost pulses. Duobinary and modified duobinary encoding produce cancellation of nonlinear interaction while carrier-suppressed RZ generates perturbations that add up coherently.