Valeria Arlunno

100 Gbit/s hybrid optical fiber-wireless link in the W-band (75–110 GHz)

We experimentally demonstrate an 100 Gbit/s hybrid optical fiber-wireless link by employing photonic heterodyning up-conversion of optical 12.5 Gbaud polarization multiplexed 16-QAM baseband signal with two free running lasers. Bit-error-rate performance below the FEC limit is successfully achieved for air transmission distances up to 120 cm.

25 Gbit/s QPSK Hybrid Fiber-Wireless Transmission in the W-Band (75–110 GHz) With Remote Antenna Unit for In-Building Wireless Networks

In this paper, we demonstrate a photonic up-converted 25 Gbit/s fiber-wireless quadrature phase shift-keying (QPSK) data transmission link at the W-band (75-110 GHz). By launching two free-running lasers spaced at 87.5 GHz into a standard single-mode fiber (SSMF) at the central office, a W-band radio-over-fiber (RoF) signal is generated and distributed to the remote antenna unit (RAU). One laser carries 12.5 Gbaud optical baseband QPSK data, and the other acts as a carrier frequency generating laser. The two signals are heterodyne mixed at a photodetector in the RAU, and the baseband QPSK signal is transparently up-converted to the W-band. After the wireless transmission, the received signal is first down-converted to an intermediate frequency (IF) at 13.5 GHz at an electrical balanced mixer before being sampled and converted to the digital domain. A digital-signal-processing (DSP)-based receiver is employed for offline digital down-conversion and signal demodulation. We successfully demonstrate a 25 Gbit/s QPSK wireless data transmission link over a 22.8 km SSMF plus up to 2.13 m air distance with a bit-error-rate performance below the 2 × 10-3 forward error correction (FEC) limit. The proposed system may have the potential for the integration of the in-building wireless networks with the fiber access networks, e.g., fiber-to-the-building (FTTB).

Fiber Wireless Transmission of 8.3-Gb/s/ch QPSK-OFDM Signals in 75–110-GHz Band

In this letter, we present a scalable high-speed W-band (75-110-GHz) fiber wireless communication system. By using an optical frequency comb generator, three-channel 8.3-Gb/s/ch optical orthogonal frequency-division-multiplexing (OOFDM) baseband signals in a 15-GHz bandwidth are seamlessly translated from the optical to the wireless domain. The W-band wireless carrier is generated from heterodyne mixing the OOFDM baseband signal with a free-running laser. A W-band electronic down-converter and a digital signal processing-based receiver are used. Three-channel QPSK-OFDM W-band wireless signals are transmitted over 0.5- and 2-m air distance with and without 22.8-km single-mode fiber, respectively, with achieved performance below the forward error correction limit.

Stokes Space-Based Optical Modulation Format Recognition for Digital Coherent Receivers

We present a technique for modulation format recognition for heterogeneous reconfigurable optical networks. The method is based on Stokes space signal representation and uses a variational Bayesian expectation maximization machine learning algorithm. Differentiation between diverse common coherent modulation formats is successfully demonstrated numerically and experimentally. The proposed method does not require training or a constellation diagram to operate, is insensitive to polarization mixing or frequency offset and can be implemented in any receiver capable of measuring Stokes parameters.

Nonlinear impairment compensation using expectation maximization for dispersion managed and unmanaged PDM 16-QAM transmission

In this paper, we show numerically and experimentally that expectation maximization (EM) algorithm is a powerful tool in combating system impairments such as fibre nonlinearities, inphase and quadrature (I/Q) modulator imperfections and laser linewidth. The EM algorithm is an iterative algorithm that can be used to compensate for the impairments which have an imprint on a signal constellation, i.e. rotation and distortion of the constellation points. The EM is especially effective for combating non-linear phase noise (NLPN). It is because NLPN severely distorts the signal constellation and this can be tracked by the EM. The gain in the nonlinear system tolerance for the system under consideration is shown to be dependent on the transmission scenario. We show experimentally that for a dispersion managed polarization multiplexed 16-QAM system at 14 Gbaud a gain in the nonlinear system tolerance of up to 3 dB can be obtained. For, a dispersion unmanaged system this gain reduces to 0.5 dB.

Experimental study on OSNR requirements for spectrum-flexible optical networks [Invited]

The flexibility and elasticity of the spectrum is an important topic today. As the capacity of deployed fiber-optic systems is becoming scarce, it is vital to shift towards solutions ensuring higher spectral efficiency. Working in this direction, we report an extensive experimental study on adaptive allocation of superchannels in spectrum-flexible heterogeneous optical network. In total, three superchannels were transmitted. Two 5-subcarrier 14-GHz-spaced, 14 Gbaud, polarization-division-multiplexed (PDM) quadrature-phase-shift-keyed (QPSK) superchannels were separated by a spectral gap, the band of interest (BOI). The bandwidth of the BOI was varied. The BOI was subsequently filled with another superchannel, constituted by a different number of either 14 Gbaud PDM-QPSK or PDM-16-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (16-QAM) subcarriers. The optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) for transmission of the subcarriers inserted into the BOI, depending on the modulation format, subcarrier count and spacing to the neighboring superchannels, was extracted through experimental implementation of different scenarios. The obtained values were interpolated to yield the required OSNR necessary to maintain a 1×10-3 bit error rate of the central BOI subcarrier. The results provide a rule of thumb that can be exploited in resource allocation mechanisms of future spectrum-flexible optical networks.

Single- and Multiband OFDM Photonic Wireless Links in the 75−110 GHz Band Employing Optical Combs

The photonic generation of electrical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) modulated wireless signals in the 75-110 GHz band is experimentally demonstrated employing in-phase/quadrature electrooptical modulation and optical heterodyn upconversion. The wireless transmission of 16-quadrature-amplitude-modulation OFDM signals is demonstrated with a bit error rate performance within the forward error correction limits. Signals of 19.1 Gb/s in 6.3-GHz bandwidth are transmitted over up to 1.3-m wireless distance. Optical comb generation is further employed to support different channels, allowing the cost and energy efficiency of the system to be increased and supporting different users in the system. Four channels at 9.6 Gb/s/ch in 14.4-GHz bandwidth are generated and transmitted over up to 1.3-m wireless distance. The transmission of a 9.6-Gb/s single-channel signal occupying 3.2-GHz bandwidth over 22.8 km of standard single-mode fiber and 0.6 m of wireless distance is also demonstrated in the multiband system.

Experimental demonstration of a cognitive quality of transmission estimator for optical communication systems

We report on the experimental performance of a case-based reasoning technique to predict whether optical channels fulfill quality of transmission requirements, thus supporting impairment-aware networking. Validation is performed in a WDM 80 Gb/s PDM-QPSK testbed.

38.2-Gb/s optical-wireless transmission in 75–110 GHz based on electrical OFDM with optical comb expansion

We demonstrate scalable optical comb- and heterodyning-based generation, optical and 1.3-m wireless transmission, and electrical heterodyne detection of multiband OFDM up to 38.2 Gb/s occupying 14.4-GHz RF bandwidth, for high-capacity optical-wireless links in 75-110 GHz.

Experimental demonstration of mixed formats and bit rates signal allocation for spectrum-flexible optical networking

We report on an extensive experimental study for adaptive allocation of 16-QAM and QPSK signals inside spectrum flexible heterogeneous superchannel. Physical-layer performance parameters are extracted for use in resource allocation mechanisms of future flexible networks.