Transmission of optical communication signals by distributed parametric amplification

For the first time, to the authors' knowledge, distributed parametric amplification (DPA), i.e., the use of a transmission fiber itself for parametric amplification of communication signals is proposed and demonstrated. To account for the inevitable fiber loss, solutions were derived for the distributed amplifier, with either one or two pumps: They are obtained in terms of confluent hypergeometric functions. Low-penalty DPA of a 10-Gb/s nonreturn-to-zero (NRZ) signal over a 75-km dispersion-shifted fiber (DSF), is demonstrated by using only 66.5 mW of pump power. Three adjacent channels have been simultaneously transmitted, with little penalty due to nonlinear crosstalk. It is experimentally verified that DPA requires less pump power than distributed Raman amplification (DRA), for similar power penalties.     

Smooth upgrade of existing passive optical networks with spectral-shaping line-coding service overlay

A simple and cost-effective upgrade of existing passive optical networks (PONs) is proposed, which realizes service overlay by novel spectral-shaping line codes. A hierarchical coding procedure allows processing simplicity and achieves desired long-term spectral properties. Different code rates are supported, and the spectral shape can be properly tailored to adapt to different systems. The computation can be simplified by quantization of trigonometric functions. DC balance is achieved by passing the dc residual between processing windows. The proposed line codes tend to introduce bit transitions to avoid long consecutive identical bits and facilitate receiver clock recovery. Experiments demonstrate and compare several different optimized line codes. For a specific tolerable interference level, the optimal line code can easily be determined, which maximizes the data throughput. The service overlay using the line-coding technique leaves existing services and field-deployed fibers untouched but fully functional, providing a very flexible and economic way to upgrade existing PONs.     

SUCCESS: a next-generation hybrid WDM/TDM optical access network architecture

In this paper, the authors propose a next-generation hybrid WDM/TDM optical access network architecture called Stanford University aCCESS or SUCCESS. This architecture provides practical migration steps from current-generation time-division multiplexing (TDM)-passive optical network (PONs) to future WDM optical access networks. The architecture is backward compatible for users on existing TDM-PONs, while simultaneously capable of providing upgraded high-bandwidth services to new users on DWDM-PONs through advanced WDM techniques. The SUCCESS architecture is based on a collector ring and several distribution stars connecting the CO and the users. A semipassive configuration of the Remote Nodes (RNs) enables protection and restoration, making the network resilient to power failures. A novel design of the OLT and DWDM-PON ONUs minimizes the system cost considerably: 1) tunable lasers and receivers at the OLT are shared by all ONUs on the network to reduce the transceiver count and 2) the fast tunable lasers not only generate downstream data traffic but also provide DWDM-PON ONUs with optical CW bursts for their upstream data transmission. Results from an experimental system testbed support the feasibility of the proposed SUCCESS architecture. Also, simulation results of the first SUCCESS DWDM-PON MAC protocol verify that it can efficiently provide bidirectional transmission between the OLT and ONUs over multiple wavelengths with a small number of tunable transmitters and receivers.     

Methods for full utilization of the bandwidth of fiber optical parametric amplifiers and wavelength converters

In fiber optical parametric amplifiers (OPAs), idlers are generated during the amplification process. For very wide and dense signal input spectra, idlers may overlap with signals, thereby interfering with proper operation as an amplifier. In this paper, filter-based methods to fully utilize the bandwidth of OPAs and wavelength converters in the presence of very broad signal spectra are investigated. In the basic filter setup, two parallel OPAs and two filters are used; alternatively, one can use a single OPA bidirectionally and a single filter. An interleaver-based arrangement, separating signals from idlers at the system output, with a crosstalk of below -20 dB and subdecibel bit-error-rate penalty, is experimentally demonstrated.     

HORNET: a packet-over-WDM multiple access metropolitan area ring network

Current metropolitan area networks (MANs) based on the SONET transport are not developing at the rate required to support the phenomenal increase in data traffic. To address the needs of future MANs, the Optical Communications Research Laboratory at Stanford University and Sprint Advanced Technology Laboratories are building HORNET (Hybrid Optoelectronic Ring NETwork). HORNET has a multiple access architecture, in which nodes access any WDM channel using a novel media access control protocol and fast tunable laser transmitters. HORNET transports data packets directly over the WDM ring, eliminating the SONET transport. This paper presents the HORNET architecture, the node design consisting of novel packet-over-WDM components, and the experimental testbed with results.     

Narrow-linewidth idler generation in fiber four-wave mixing andparametric amplification by dithering two pumps in opposition of phase

Wide-bandwidth and high-gain fiber optical parametric amplifiers (OPAs) have been demonstrated recently. Their application as all-optical wavelength converters has been hampered by pump-induced converted-signal spectrum broadening, due to the required pump phase modulation. In this paper, we theoretically investigate and experimentally demonstrate a technique to cancel the converted-signal broadening by using four-wave mixing (FWM) or parametric amplification with two pumps phase-modulated 180° out of phase. The resulting converted-signal quality is comparable to that of the output signal     

Future telecommunication networks: major trend projections

Integrating synergistically the issues of traffic types, technologies, and competition, we create a view of the future of telecommunications that appears to be probable and review the technologies likely to be implemented in the future     

The STARNET coherent WDM computer communication network:experimental transceiver employing a novel modulation format

We have designed, constructed, and investigated an experimental transceiver employing a novel combined PSK and ASK modulation format for the STARNET coherent WDM computer communication network. Using this experimental transceiver, we show that it is possible to transmit and receive 2.488 Gb/s PSK circuit-switched data and 125 Mb/s ASK packet-switched data on the same lightwave. The experimental transceiver employs a custom integrated-optic LiNbO₃ modulator with both phase and amplitude sections, a 2.488 Gb/s tunable PSK heterodyne receiver, and a 125 Mb/s ASK heterodyne receiver. Both receivers function properly with error rates less than 10^-9 and a sensitivity of -32.1 dBm; the corresponding optimum ASK modulation depth is 0.57. The resulting network power budget is 26.6 dB     

Polarization-independent two-pump fiber optical parametricamplifier

Fiber-optical parametric amplifiers can be rendered polarization-independent by using two pumps with orthogonal polarization states. We have analytically investigated and experimentally demonstrated, for the first time to our knowledge, a flat-gain polarization-independent continuous-wave fiber optical parametric amplifier with 15 dB of gain over a 20-nm bandwidth, by using two orthogonal pumps     

Cross-phase modulation in fiber links with multiple opticalamplifiers and dispersion compensators

We have theoretically and experimentally investigated the cross-phase modulation (XPM) effect in optical fiber links with multiple optical amplifiers and dispersion compensators. Our theory suggests that the XPM effect can be modeled as a phase modulator with inputs from the intensity of copropagating waves. The frequency response of the phase modulator corresponding to each copropagating wave depends on fiber dispersion, wavelength separation, and fiber length. The total XPM-induced phase shift is the integral of the phase shift contributions from all frequency components of copropagating waves. In nondispersive fibers, XPM is frequency-independent; in dispersive fibers, XPM's frequency response is approximately inversely proportional to the product of frequency, fiber dispersion, and wavelength separation. In an N-segment amplified link, the frequency response of XPM is increased N-fold, but only in very narrow frequency bands. In most other frequency bands, the amount of increase is limited and almost independent of N. However, in an N-segment amplified link with dispersion compensators, the frequency response of XPM is increased N-fold at all frequencies if the dispersion is compensated for within each fiber segment. Thus, the XPM-induced phase shift is smaller in systems employing lumped dispersion compensation than in systems employing distributed dispersion compensation