Network convergence and QoS for future multimedia services in the VISION project

The emerging use of real-time 3D-based multimedia applications imposes strict quality of service (QoS) requirements on both access and core networks. These requirements and their impact to provide end-to-end 3D videoconferencing services have been studied within the Spanish-funded VISION project, where different scenarios were implemented showing an agile stereoscopic video call that might be offered to the general public in the near future. In view of the requirements, we designed an integrated access and core converged network architecture which provides the requested QoS to end-to-end IP sessions. Novel functional blocks are proposed to control core optical networks, the functionality of the standard ones is redefined, and the signaling improved to better meet the requirements of future multimedia services. An experimental test-bed to assess the feasibility of the solution was also deployed. In such test-bed, set-up and release of end-to-end sessions meeting specific QoS requirements are shown and the impact of QoS degradation in terms of the user perceived quality degradation is quantified. In addition, scalability results show that the proposed signaling architecture is able to cope with large number of requests introducing almost negligible delay

High Dimensional Modulation and MIMO Techniques for Access Networks

Exploration of advanced modulation formats and multiplexing techniques for next generation optical access networks are of interest as promising solutions for delivering multiple services to end-users. This thesis addresses this from two different angles: high dimensionality carrierless amplitudephase (CAP) and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radio-over-fiber (RoF) systems. High dimensionality CAP modulation has been investigated in optical fiber systems. In this project we conducted the first experimental demonstration of 3 and 4 dimensional CAP with bit rates up to 10 Gb/s. These results indicate the potentiality of supporting multiple users with converged services. At the same time, orthogonal division multiple access (ODMA) systems for multiple possible dimensions of CAP modulation has been demonstrated for user and service allocation in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical access network. 2 x 2 MIMO RoF employing orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) with 5.6 GHz RoF signaling over all-vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSEL) WDM passive optical networks (PONs). We have employed polarization division multiplexing (PDM) to further increase the capacity per wavelength of the femto-cell network. Bit rate up to 1.59 Gbps with fiber-wireless transmission over 1 m air distance is demonstrated. The results presented in this thesis demonstrate the feasibility of high dimensionality CAP in increasing the number of dimensions and their potentially to be utilized for multiple service allocation to different users. MIMO multiplexing techniques with OFDM provides the scalability in increasing spectral effciency and bit rates for RoF systems. High dimensional CAP and MIMO multiplexing techniques are two promising solutions for supporting wired and hybrid wired-wireless access networks

General QoS-Aware Scheduling Procedure for Passive Optical Networks

Increasing volume, dynamism, and diversity of access traffic have complicated the challenging problem of dynamic resource allocation in passive optical networks. We introduce a general scheduling procedure for passive optical networks, which optimizes a desired performance metric for an arbitrary set of operational constraints. The proposed scheduling has a fast and causal iterative implementation, where each iteration involves a local optimization problem followed by a recursive update of some status information. The generality of the platform enables a proper description of the diverse quality of service requirements, while its low computational complexity makes agile tracking of the network dynamism possible. To demonstrate its versatility and generality, the applications of the scheme for service-differentiated dynamic bandwidth allocation in time- and wavelength-division-multiplexed passive optical networks are discussed. To further reduce the computational complexity, a closed-form solution of the involved optimization in each iteration of the scheduling is derived. We directly incorporate transmission delay in the scheduling and show how the consumed power is traded for the tolerable amount of transmission delay. Furthermore, a 50% power efficiency improvement is reported by exploiting the inherent service diversity among subscribers. The impact of service prioritization, finite buffer length, and packet drops on the power efficiency of the scheme are also investigated

High Speed Optical Links Using CAP Modulation and Novel Equalisation Techniques

High speed optical links suffer from inter-symbol-interference (ISI) due to their limited bandwidth. Equalisation is typically used to mitigate ISI and therefore improve the link capacity. This dissertation explores novel equalisation techniques for carrierless amplitude and phase (CAP) modulation based optical communication systems including OM4 based and plastic optical fibre (POF) based links. An 850 nm VCSEL based OM4 link using CAP-16 scheme is studied. For the first time, the CAP equaliser, is proposed to mitigate both crosstalk channel interference (CCI) and ISI in the link at the receiver side. Performance comparisons are studied between the CAP-16 scheme using CAP equaliser and a conventional equaliser, pulse amplitude modulation (PAM-4) scheme, and discrete multitone (DMT) scheme. CAP based data transmission of 112 Gb/s is achieved over 150 m OM4 fibre with this novel equaliser, while the conventional equaliser can only support over 1 m OM4 fibre and fails to recover the signals at the same data rate. In addition, this novel equaliser provides a 1.2 dB and 1.7 dB improvement in receiver sensitivity over PAM-4 and DMT schemes, respectively, at 112 Gb/s over 100 m OM4 fibre. A novel pre-CAP-equaliser solving CCI at the transmitter side is also proposed. Data transmission of 56 Gb/s over 100 m OM4 fibre is reported experimentally with an improvement of 0.7 dB in receiver sensitivity compared to using the CAP equaliser at the receiver side. A simulation study shows a 2 dB improvement in receiver sensitivity at 112 Gb/s over 100 m OM4 fibre. Furthermore, an artificial neural network (ANN) equaliser in conjunction with the CAP equaliser structure is explored in a VCSEL based OM4 fibre link in order to further mitigate the nonlinear impairments. For 112 Gb/s data transmission over 100 m OM4 fibre, a 2.4 dB improvement of receiver sensitivity is achieved compared to the CAP equaliser. In addition to the electrical equalisers, a monolithically integrated silicon optical equaliser consisting of three taps is used for 50 Gb/s data transmission. After 10 km standard single mode fibre (SSMF), error free eye diagrams at the receiver are demonstrated. A μLED based POF link based on an APD receiver is also investigated with the CAP equaliser at the receiver side. Data transmission rates of 4 Gb/s over 25 m and 5 Gb/s over 10 m POF links are demonstrated with this equaliser while the conventional equaliser can only support 4 Gb/s over 10 m and fails to recover the signals for 5 Gb/s data transmission

Fiber Optics

Optical fibers in metrology, telecommunications, sensors, manufacturing, and health science have gained massive research interest. The number of applications is increasing at a fast pace. This book aims to present a collection of recent advances in fiber optics, addressing both fundamental and industrial applications. It covers the current progress and latest breakthroughs in emergent applications of fiber optics. The book includes five chapters on recent developments in optical fiber communications and fiber sensors, as well as the design, simulation, and fabrication of novel fiber concepts