On nonlinear Fourier transform-based fibre-optic communication systems for periodic signals

As the demand for information rate grows on a daily basis, new ways of improving the efficiency of fibre-optic communication systems, the backbone of the global data network,are highly anticipated. Nonlinear Fourier transform (NFT) is one of the newly emerged techniques showing promising results in recent studies both in simulation and experiment. Along this path, this method has shown its potential to overcome some difficulties of the fibre-optic communication regarding nonlinear distortions, especially the crosstalk between the user’s bands in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) systems. NFT-based systems, however, in the conventional, widely considered case of vanishing boundary signals, have exhibited some drawbacks related to the computational complexity and spectral efficiency. Both problems are the direct consequences of large signal duration ensued from the vanishing boundary condition. Considering periodic solutions to the nonlinear Schrödinger equation is among attempts to solve this problem. It helps to decrease the processing window at the receiver and gives full control over the communication-related parameters of the signal. Periodic NFT (PNFT) can also be implemented through fast numerical methods which makes it yet more appealing. In this thesis, a general framework to implement PNFT in fibre-optic communication systems is proposed. As the most challenging part of such a system, the inverse transformation stage is particularly taken attention to, and a few ways to perform it are put forward. From the simplest signals with analytically known nonlinear spectrum to a complete periodic solution with arbitrary, finite number of degrees of freedom, several system configurations are conferred and evaluated in terms of their performance. Common measures such as bit error rate, quality factor and mutual information are considered in scrutinising the systems.Based on simulation results, we conclude that the PNFT can, in fact, improve the mutual information by overcoming some shortcomings of the vanishing boundary NFT

Periodic nonlinear Fourier transform for fiber-optic communications, Part II:eigenvalue communication

In this paper we propose the design of communication systems based on using periodic nonlinear Fourier transform (PNFT), following the introduction of the method in the Part I. We show that the famous "eigenvalue communication" idea [A. Hasegawa and T. Nyu, J. Lightwave Technol. 11, 395 (1993)] can also be generalized for the PNFT application: In this case, the main spectrum attributed to the PNFT signal decomposition remains constant with the propagation down the optical fiber link. Therefore, the main PNFT spectrum can be encoded with data in the same way as soliton eigenvalues in the original proposal. The results are presented in terms of the bit-error rate (BER) values for different modulation techniques and different constellation sizes vs. the propagation distance, showing a good potential of the technique

On the design of NFT-based communication systems with lumped amplification

Nonlinear Fourier transform (NFT) based transmission technique relies on the integrability of the nonlinear Schrodinger equation (NLSE). However, the lossless NLSE is not directly applicable for the description of light evolution in fibre links with lumped amplifications such as Erbium-doped fibre amplifier (EDFA) because of the non-uniform loss and gain evolution. In this case, the path-averaged model is usually applied as an approximation of the true NLSE model including the fibre loss. However, the inaccuracy of the lossless path-average model, even though being small, can also result in a notable performance degradation in NFT-based transmission systems. In this work, we extend the theoretical approach, which was firstly proposed for solitons in EDFA systems, to the case of NFT-based systems to constructively diminish the aforementioned performance penalty. Based on the quantitative analysis of distortions due to the use of path-average model, we optimise the signal launch and detection points to minimise the models mismatch. Without loss of generality, we demonstrate how the approach works for the NFT systems that use continuous NFT spectrum modulation (vanishing signals) and NFT main spectrum modulation (periodic signals). Through numerical modelling we quantify the corresponding improvements in system performance

Periodic nonlinear Fourier transform for fiber-optic communications, Part I:theory and numerical methods

In this work, we introduce the periodic nonlinear Fourier transform (PNFT) method as an alternative and efficacious tool for compensation of the nonlinear transmission effects in optical fiber links. In the Part I, we introduce the algorithmic platform of the technique, describing in details the direct and inverse PNFT operations, also known as the inverse scattering transform for periodic (in time variable) nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE). We pay a special attention to explaining the potential advantages of the PNFT-based processing over the previously studied nonlinear Fourier transform (NFT) based methods. Further, we elucidate the issue of the numerical PNFT computation: we compare the performance of four known numerical methods applicable for the calculation of nonlinear spectral data (the direct PNFT), in particular, taking the main spectrum (utilized further in Part II for the modulation and transmission) associated with some simple example waveforms as the quality indicator for each method. We show that the Ablowitz-Ladik discretization approach for the direct PNFT provides the best performance in terms of the accuracy and computational time consumption

Signal modulation and processing in nonlinear fibre channels by employing the Riemann-Hilbert problem

Most of the nonlinear Fourier transform (NFT) based optical communication systems studied so far deal with the burst mode operation that substantially reduce achievable spectral efficiency. The burst mode requirement emerges due to the very nature of the commonly used version of the NFT processing method: it can process only rapidly decaying signals, requires zero-padding guard intervals for processing of dispersion-induced channel memory, and does not allow one to control the time-domain occupation well. Some of the limitations and drawbacks imposed by this approach can be rectified by the recently-introduced more mathematicallydemanding periodic NFT processing tools. However, the studies incorporating the signals with cyclic prefix extension into the NFT transmission framework have so far lacked the efficient digital signal processing (DSP) method of synthesising an optical signal, the shortcoming that diminishes the approach flexibility. In this work we introduce the Riemann-Hilbert problem (RHP) based DSP method as a flexible and expandable tool that would allow one to utilise the periodic NFT spectrum for transmission purposes without former restrictions. First, we outline the theoretical framework and clarify the implementation underlying the proposed new DSP method. Then we present the results of numerical modelling quantifying the performance of longhaul RHP-based transmission with the account of optical noise, demonstrating the good performance quality and potential of RHP-based optical communication systems

Optical communication based on the periodic nonlinear Fourier transform signal processing

In this work we introduce the periodic nonlinear Fourier transform (PNFT) and propose a proof-of-concept communication system based on it by using a simple waveform with known nonlinear spectrum (NS). We study the performance (addressing the bit-error-rate (BER), as a function of the propagation distance) of the transmission system based on the use of the PNFT processing method and show the benefits of the latter approach. By analysing our simulation results for the system with lumped amplification, we demonstrate the decent potential of the new processing method

Communication system based on periodic nonlinear Fourier transform with exact inverse transformation

By performing the exact inverse transformation, a periodic solution to channel model is constructed and used in an NFT-based communication system. The achievable mutual information is calculated using the non-uniform probability distribution for transmitted symbols for different link lengths

Communication System Using Periodic Nonlinear Fourier Transform Based on Riemann-Hilbert Problem

In a communication system based on periodic nonlinear Fourier transform, we apply the associated Riemann-Hilbert problem to modulate the nonlinear spectrum of the signal and study the performance and achievable mutual informatio

Full-spectrum periodic nonlinear Fourier transform optical communication through solving the Riemann-Hilbert problem

In this article, for the first time, a full-spectrum periodic nonlinear Fourier transform (NFT)-based communication system with the inverse transformation at the transmitter performed by using the solution of Riemann-Hilbert problem (RHP), is proposed and studied. The entire control over the nonlinear spectrum rendered by our technique, where we operate with two qualitatively different components of this spectrum represented, correspondingly, in terms of the main spectrum and the phases, allows us to design a time-domain signal tailored to the characteristics of the transmission channel. In the heart of our system is the RHP-based signal processing utilised to generate the time-domain signal from the modulated nonlinear spectrum. This type of NFT processing leads to a computational complexity that scales linearly with the number of time-domain samples, and we can process signal samples in parallel. In this article, we suggest the way of getting an exactly periodic signal through the correctly formulated RHP, and present evidence of the analogy between band-limited (in ordinary Fourier sense) signals and finite-band (in RHP sense) signals. Also, for the first time, we explain how to modulate the phases of individual periodic nonlinear modes. The performance of our transmission system is evaluated through numerical simulations in terms of bit error rate and Q$^2$-factor dependencies on the transmission distance and power, and the results demonstrate the good potential of the approach