Xuhan Guo

Layered ACO-OFDM for intensity-modulated direct-detection optical wireless transmission

Layered asymmetrically clipped optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (ACO-OFDM) with high spectral efficiency is proposed in this paper for optical wireless transmission employing intensity modulation with direct detection. In contrast to the conventional ACO-OFDM, which only utilizes odd subcarriers for modulation, leading to an obvious spectral efficiency loss, in layered ACO-OFDM, the subcarriers are divided into different layers and modulated by different kinds of ACO-OFDM, which are combined for simultaneous transmission. In this way, more subcarriers are used for data transmission and the spectral efficiency is improved. An iterative receiver is also proposed for layered ACO-OFDM, where the negative clipping distortion of each layer is subtracted once it is detected so that the signals from different layers can be recovered. Theoretical analysis shows that the proposed scheme can improve the spectral efficiency by up to 2 times compared with conventional ACO-OFDM approaches with the same modulation order. Meanwhile, simulation results confirm a considerable signal-to-noise ratio gain over ACO-OFDM at the same spectral efficiency.

Improved Receiver Design for Layered ACO-OFDM in Optical Wireless Communications

Layered asymmetrically clipped optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (LACO-OFDM) is recently proposed for intensity-modulated directed-detected optical wireless communications, which achieves higher spectral efficiency compared with the conventional ACO-OFDM, since different layers of ACO-OFDM signals are combined to utilize more subcarriers. In this letter, an improved receiver is proposed for LACO-OFDM, which distinguishes different layers of ACO-OFDM signals in the time domain. After that, the structure of ACO-OFDM signals in each layer is exploited to further reduce the noise and inter-layer interference, resulting in the improved performance. Simulation results show that the proposed receiver for LACO-OFDM achieves significant gain over its conventional counterpart.

Monolithically integrated selectable repetition-rate laser diode source of picosecond optical pulses

We describe the characterization of a monolithically integrated photonic device for short pulse generation featuring a mode-locked laser diode, a Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM), and a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). The integrated device is designed for fabrication by a generic foundry scheme with a view to ease of design, testing, and manufacture. Trains of 6.8 ps pulses are generated at repetition rates that are electronically switchable from 14 GHz to 109 MHz. The SOA boosts the peak power by 7.4 dB, and the pulses are compressible to 2.4 ps by dispersion compensation using single-mode telecommunications fiber.

All-optical mode-group division multiplexing over a graded-index ring-core fiber with single radial mode

We demonstrate mode-group division multiplexing over 100m graded-index ring-core fiber supporting 4 LP mode-groups with a single radial index using SLM-based mode (de)multiplexers to transmit 2×10Gbps NRZ signals without MIMO equalization.

Variable repetition rate monolithically integrated mode-locked-laser-modulator-MOPA device

A monolithically integrated MLLD-modulator-MOPA is presented generating 12.5 ps pulses. The Mach-Zehnder modulator allows tunable repetition rates from 14 GHz to 109 MHz, and the MOPA boosts the peak power by 3.2 dB.

First demonstration of OFDM ECDMA for low cost optical access networks

We demonstrate for the first time to the best of our knowledge an analogue orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) based electrical code division multiplexing access (ECDMA) passive optical network (PON) for next generation access applications. Advantages of the system include low cost, high capacity, and enhanced spectral efficiency. A proof-of-principle 16 QAM OFDM ECDMA PON downlink experiment is used to show the transmission of an aggregate data rate of 24.8  Gb/s within an eight-user system. Transmission is achieved over 25 km of single-mode telecommunications fiber (SMF) with negligible dispersion and crosstalk penalties.

Theoretical Model for Dicke Superradiance in a Semiconductor Laser Device

A theoretical model for Dicke superradiance (SR) in diode lasers is proposed using the travelling wave method with a spatially resolved absorber and spectrally resolved gain. The role of electrode configuration and optical bandwidth are compared and contrasted as a route to enhance femtosecond pulse power. While pulse duration can be significantly reduced through careful absorber length specification, stability is degraded. However an increased spectral gain bandwidth of up to 150 nm is predicted to allow pulsewidth reductions of down to 10 fs and over 500-W peak power without further degradation in pulse stability.

Monolithically integrated tunable mode-locked laser diode source with individual pulse selection and post-amplification

We report the generation of high-peak-power picosecond optical pulses in the 1.55 μm spectral band from a monolithically mode-locked laser integrated with a pulse selector and power booster. High-peak-power (>1  W) pulses with durations of 15.4 ps at a 55 MHz selected rate are demonstrated, indicating that this device shows promise as a high-peak-power pulsed light source for bio-photonic applications.

High speed OFDM-CDMA optical access network.

We demonstrate the feasibility of a 16 × 3.75 Gb/s (60 Gb/s aggregate) Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing-code division multiple access passive optical network for next-generation access applications. 3.75 Gb/s PON channel transmission over 25 km single-mode fiber shows 0.1 dB dispersion and 0.9 dB crosstalk penalties. Advantages of the system include high capacity, enhanced spectral efficiency, coding gain, and networking functions such as increased security and single-wavelength operation.

Laser research on an InP-based generic integration platform

In Europe a number of technology platforms for generic integration are being created for photonic integrated circuits (PICs); in Silicon, in passive dielectrics, and in Indium Phosphide. Such platforms are on the brink of commercialization, they offer a range of calibrated building blocks from which application specific PICs can be built and allow simplified, reduced cost access to a standardised technology, but presently only InP based platforms allow the integration of optical gain blocks; the essential feature of a semiconductor laser. The wavelength is constrained by the platform, usually C-band, but in the near future we expect other wavelengths in the 1.3μm-2.0μm range will be addressed. A frozen platform technology may not seem an ideal starting point for novel laser research but for what may be appear to be lost in epitaxial and process flexibility, much more is gained through a new-found ability to build up complex circuits quickly to deliver new and interesting laser based functionality. Building blocks such as reflectors (a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) or a multimode interference reflector (MIR)), an amplifier section, and passive waveguides, can be built up by designers into integrated semiconductor lasers of a wide variety of types. This ready integration of novel sources with other circuit functionality can address a wide range of applications in telecoms, datacoms, and fibre based sensing systems. In this paper we describe a number of recent developments on generic InP-based platforms ranging from the fabrication of simple Fabry-Perot lasers, through tuneable DBR lasers, multi-wavelength comb lasers, picosecond pulse lasers and ring lasers.