Optical components for WDM lightwave networks

Recently, there has been growing interest in developing optical fiber networks to support the increasing bandwidth demands of multimedia applications, such as video conferencing and World Wide Web browsing. One technique for accessing the huge bandwidth available in an optical fiber is wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM). Under WDM, the optical fiber bandwidth is divided into a number of nonoverlapping wavelength bands, each of which may be accessed at peak electronic rates by an end user. By utilizing WDM in optical networks, we can achieve link capacities on the order of 50 THz. The success of WDM networks depends heavily on the available optical device technology. This paper is intended as a tutorial on some of the optical device issues in WDM networks. It discusses the basic principles of optical transmission in fiber and reviews the current state of the art in optical device technology. It introduces some of the basic components in WDM networks, discusses various implementations of these components, and provides insights into their capabilities and limitations. Then, this paper demonstrates how various optical components can be incorporated into WDM optical networks for both local and wide-area applications. Finally, the paper provides a brief review of experimental WDM networks that have been implemented     

Optical receivers for lightwave communication systems

As long-wavelength optical telecommunications systems are now being installed in countries throughout the world, this is an opportune time to review the successful developments in detectors and receivers for this application. We given prominence to receivers using p-i-n and avalanche photodiodes, describing in some detail the principles of their operation as well as the details of their development. However, we also consider bipolar phototransistors, photoconductive detectors, and the receiver requirements for coherent optical systems, concluding with a broad comparison of the various receiver designs.     

Optical receivers for lightwave communication systems

As long-wavelength optical telecommunications systems are now being installed in countries throughout the world, this is an opportune time to review the successful developments in detectors and receivers for this application. We given prominence to receivers using p-i-n and avalanche photodiodes, describing in some detail the principles of their operation as well as the details of their development. However, we also consider bipolar phototransistors, photoconductive detectors, and the receiver requirements for coherent optical systems, concluding with a broad comparison of the Various receiver designs.     

Optical signal processing for lightwave communications networks

A number of optical signal processing functions that might be potentially important for future lightwave communication networks are described. An optical network with a distribution capacity of 100 HDTV channels is considered along with how such a network can be implemented using the following functional subsystems: frequency converters; transmitter banks; modified (wavelength division multiplexing) WDM demultiplexers; and tunable optical receivers. Discussed are the key network-level issues: the power budget, the channel separation, and the overall rationale for selection of multiplexing techniques. A hardware implementation of the functional subsystems using three basic building blocks-tunable amplifiers/filters, phase locked loops, and comb generators-is discussed     

Optical preamplifiers for subcarrier multiplexed lightwave systems

It is shown that optical preamplifiers used in conjunction with wideband 50 ohm microwave amplifiers make excellent receivers for subcarrier multiplexed lightwave systems.<>     

Optical modulation depth improvement in SCM lightwave systems usinga dissymmetrization scheme

A scheme is proposed that permits the increase of the rms optical modulation depth (OMD) in SCM lightwave systems, without correlative increase of clipping-induced nonlinear distortion. This scheme is based on the addition to the SCM signal of low-pass filtered pulses, produced in synchronism with the peaks of the SCM signal, in order to prevent the clipping occurring during these peaks. An experiment demonstrating the feasibility is described. An rms OMD improvement of 4 and 5 dB has been obtained for a SCM band of 200-800 and 200-600 MHz, respectively     

High-capacity coherent lightwave systems

Recent theoretical work on coherent optical detection systems is reviewed and experimental results in high-speed coherent transmission are summarized. The theoretical advantages and limitations of the various modulation and detection formats are discussed and experimental progress towards the implementation of these systems is reviewed. The most significant obstacles to the attainment of quantum-noise limited detection at higher speeds are seen to be the requirement of uniform frequency response from electronic components and the local oscillator laser power requirement, which increases as the square of the bit rate. To make full use of the single-mode fiber bandwidth, frequency-division multiplexing of many moderate-rate channels is a very promising technique for local systems. For long-distance applications, frequency multiplexing is still possible but is limited by the need for optical amplifiers or wavelength-selective multiplexers     

Active feedback lightwave receivers

This paper describes new p-i-n-FET lightwave receivers that achieve high sensitivity without signal integration, and dynamic ranges large enough that they cannot be saturated by present lightwave transmitters. IC versions can be realized inexpensively in standard fine-line NMOS, CMOS, or GaAs IC technologies, and thus are suitable for loop-plant, local-area-network, and data link applications, as well as long-haul transmission applications. These receivers also can readily be designed for bit-rates in excess of 1 Gbit/s for high-capacity systems. In addition, these receivers can be implemented on the same IC as other system functions, e.g., for single-chip lightwave regenerators and lightwave modems, and, eventually, for microprocessors with on-chip optical communications ports.     

Repeaterless undersea lightwave systems

A repeaterless undersea lightwave system connects two terrestrial locations separated by the sea without the need for undersea regeneration of the optical signal. To achieve the longest span length possible, the system combines terrestrial terminals containing superior-performance optoelectronic devices with ultrareliable undersea cable technology. The lightwave technology used to achieve cost-effective, long-span repeaterless undersea lightwave systems is discussed. This includes undersea fiber and cable, lasers and receivers, and terminal equipment. The first application of this technology, Taiwan's Tainan to Peng-Hu system, is described. The possibilities for increasing the maximum attainable span length of high-capacity repeaterless undersea systems are examined. Key elements are higher-output transmitters, more sensitive receivers, and improved optical fibers     

The scalable lightwave network

In principle, an optical network employing wavelength routing, wavelength reuse, and multihop packet switching is modularly scalable to very large configurations in both the hardware and software sense. As such, it is a viable architecture for a new ATM-based telecommunications infrastructure The network architecture considered for a new, scalable, broadband telecommunications infrastructure is based on (1) the use of wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) and wavelength routing; (2) the translation of signals from one wavelength to another at the access stations; and (3) the use of multihop ATM packet switching. These principles permit networks to be built whose size is essentially unlimited     

A linear lightwave Benes network

The authors consider linear lightwave networks with a single waveband that have N inputs, each with a transmitter, and N outputs, each with a receiver, interconnected by optical links, broadcast stars, and wavelength-independent 2×2 switches. The transmitters and receivers can tune to C different wavelengths. The authors describe a rearrangeably nonblocking network that is a modification of the Benes network and uses transmitters that are fixed tuned and switches with two states. The network uses [1+o(1)] N/log₂(N/C) switches, which is shown to be nearly the minimum number. It is also shown that, if C =o(log N), then a rearrangeably nonblocking network requires [1+o(1)]Nlog₂N switches even if the switches have more than two states     

Optical injection locking of a 38-GHz-band InP-based HEMToscillator using a 1.55-μm DSB-SC modulated lightwave

Optical injection locking was experimentally performed using a 38-GHz-band InP-based HEMT MMIC oscillator and a 1.55-μm lightwave. Two optical modulation schemes were compared for optical injection locking, and no difference was found except for the optical modulation frequency. With suppressed carrier modulation of the lightwave, phase noise of less than -73.2 dBc/Hz at a 10-kHz frequency offset and a 14-MHz locking range were achieved     

High-capacity lightwave local are networks

The author presents an overview of fundamental considerations that guide and motivate research in this area. He explores the relationship between the bandwidth of the fiber, the available power and the loss in various network designs, and the throughput of networks as limited by the medium-access techniques and control mechanisms. He discusses two approaches to opening up the bottleneck that seem particularly promising. The first, multihop, uses a novel network architecture to achieve high capacity with existing devices; the second, wavelength division multiple access (WDMA), emphasizes new devices in a relatively conventional architecture. Noting that the primary disadvantage of the bus topology, poor energy efficiency, could be overcome with a suitable optical amplifier to compensate for the high signal attenuation in the network, the author discusses one of the most promising candidates, the traveling-wave semiconductor amplifier. He also discusses medium-access considerations     

Logically rearrangeable multihop lightwave networks

The optimization problem of rearrangeable multihop lightwave networks is considered. The authors formulate the flow and wavelength assignment problem, when minimizing the maximum flow in the network, as a mixed integer optimization problem subject to linear constraints. The problem is decomposed into two independent subproblems, the wavelength assignment (or connectivity problem) and the flow assignment (or routing problem). A simple heuristic provides a meaningful formulation to the connectivity problem, in a form similar to a transportation problem. An algorithm is then proposed which finds a heuristic initial logical connectivity diagram and the corresponding routing, and then iterates from that solution by applying branch-exchange operations to the connectivity diagram. The algorithm was tested on illustrative traffic matrices for an 8 node network with two transmitters and two receivers per node, and an improvement in achievable throughput over the Perfect Shuffle interconnection pattern was shown in all cases     

CTNE undersea lightwave inter-island system

The world's first deep-water undersea repeatered lightwave cable system will be installed in the Canary Islands in 1985. The three-repeater 120-km 1.3-μm system will be used initially to prove-in the SL Undersea Lightwave System and later to provide commercial service to CTNE.