Stuart M. Abbott

First dispersion-flattened transpacific undersea system: from design to terabit/s field trial

The 8991-km-long transpacific segment of the Tyco Global Network (TGN) [TGN is a trademark of Tyco Telecommunications, Eatontown, NJ 07724 USA], connecting Hillsboro, Oregon, USA to Toyohashi, Japan, is the first installed dispersion-flattened dense wavelength division multiplexed (DWDM) system. In this paper, we describe the development path bringing this system from the computer design stage to a field trial, which confirms that the installed segment can support the design capacity of 96/spl times/10 Gb/s customer channels per fiber pair. Commercial channels have been provisioned on this segment with satisfactory system margins. Exploratory transmission results at 128/spl times/12.3 Gb/s over this segment are also reported here. The experimental results agree well with our expectations based on the results from our system design simulator.

Using RZ DPSK-Based Transponders for Upgrades on Existing Long-Haul Submarine WDM Systems

The RZ-DPSK transmission format allows higher capacity and greater flexibility in system configurations when upgrading existing WDM systems. We report on using RZ-DPSK for upgrades of systems originally designed for RZ-OOK transponders. In this paper, we discuss the use of RZ-DPSK transponders on an installed trans-Pacific link and on the Sam-1 Cable System where the original transmission lengths were significantly increased. On the original Sam-1 Cable System, each digital line segment was less than 5000 km long. At the owners request these shorter sections were concatenated to make a 10,757-km commercial WDM 10 Gb/s fiber optic link, the longest in the world. Ten Gb/s transponders were successfully deployed onto the concatenated segments, and DPSK transponders will allow 480 Gb/s capacity.

Spectral hole burning simulation and experimental verification in long-haul WDM systems

The effect of spectral hole burning on long-haul WDM systems was simulated and measured on installed transatlantic link. Changes in end-to-end system gain versus number and wavelength of channels were evaluated. Modeling results are in good agreement with experimental data.

Impact of fiber aging and cable repair in an installed 28-nm transatlantic 96 x 10 Gb/s DWDM system

Using the 28-nm bandwidth, transatlantic segment of the Tyco Global Networkreg, we present the first report of the impact of fiber aging and cable repairs on gain shape and performance of an installed transoceanic DWDM system

Simple channel power management for sparsely loaded broadband DWDM systems

Managing channel power in optically amplified systems is imperative when the system is loaded with only a fraction of its design capacity. We field-tested a simple technique that takes advantage of lightly loaded system properties.

Gain reshaping caused by spectral hole burning in long EDFA-based transmission links

We show that the effect of SHB on power evolution in long-haul EDFA-based links is largest in the first few spans, saturating with distance, and that its strength on end-to-end gain depends on number of amplifiers and not EDFA gain.

Undersea Communication Systems Without System Specific Optical Amplifiers

We demonstrated that a mix of high- and low-gain amplifiers instead of the traditional span loss matched amplifiers can be used in undersea transmission systems without any performance penalty over transoceanic distances.

Undersea Transmission Systems - from Festoon to Transpacific

We give an overview of enabling technologies offered in todays submarine fiber optics WDM networks. We discuss evolution of undersea technologies through the last decade and review requirements and challenges that arise in designing and developing modern undersea systems.