Ultra-High-Capacity Optical Packet Switching Networks with Coherent Polarization Division Multiplexing QPSK/16QAM Modulation Formats

Abstract

Abstract:Optical packet switching (OPS) networks and its subsystems, like the burst-mode receiver, are an essential technology currently used in passive optical networks (PONs). Moreover, OPS may play a fundamental role on future hybrid optical circuit switching (OCS)/OPS networks and datacenter networks. This paper focuses on two fundamental subsystems of packetized optical networks: the digital coherent burst-mode receiver and the electro-optical switch. We describe and experimentally characterize a novel digital coherent burst-mode receiver that makes uses of the Stokes parametrization to rapidly estimate the state of polarization (SOP) and optimize the equalizer convergence time. This burst-mode receiver is suitable for optical packetized networks that make use of advanced modulation formats such as quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM). We study the suitability of (Pb,La)(Zr,La)O 3 (PLZT) optical switches for amplitude-variable coherent polarization division multiplexing (PDM) 16QAM modulation format and demonstrate a switching capacity of 10.24 Tb/s/port. We demonstrate a full 2 × 2 OPS node with a control plane capable of solving packet contention by means of packet dropping or buffering with a switching capacity of 10.24 Tb/s/port. Finally, we demonstrate the operation of the 2 × 2 OPS node with a record capacity of 12.8 Tb/s/port plus 100 km of dispersion-compensated fiber transmission.

Tunable Mode Converter Device Based on Photonic Crystal Fiber with a Thermo-Responsive Liquid Crystal Core

“…Nevertheless, many experts around the world predict that the next decade or so, an increasing number of fibers in real networks will reach their capacity limits [3,4]. In order to increase the transmission rates and satisfy the growing demand for information, it is required that we develop several technological breakthroughs, such as low-loss single mode fibers (SMF) [5,6], erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs) [7,8], wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) [2,9], polarization division multiplexing (PDM) [10] and high-spectral-efficiency coding through a digital signal processor (DSP) to enable coherent transmission [11]. WDM is the dominant technology that consists of transmitting signals using each wavelength as an independent channel.…”