Regenerator Allocation in Nonlinear Elastic Optical Networks With Random Data Rates

We optimize the regenerator allocation in nonlinear elastic networks whose traffic demands have random data rates. Compared with previous regenerator allocation algorithms, our method achieves the same blocking probability with 11% fewer regenerator sites

Robust regenerator allocation in nonlinear flexible-grid optical networks with time-varying data rates

Predeployment of regenerators in a selected subset of network nodes allows service providers to achieve rapid provisioning of traffic demands, high utilization, and reduced network operational costs, while still guaranteeing lightpath quality of transmission. Enabled by bandwidth-variable transceivers in flexible-grid optical networks, optical channel bandwidths are no longer fixed but constantly changing according to real-time communication requirements. Consequently, the data-rate-variable traffic together with other new network features introduced by flexible-grid networks will render the regenerator allocation very difficult due to the complicated network states. In this paper, we investigate how to allocate regenerators robustly in flexible-grid optical networks to combat physical-layer impairments when the data rates of traffic demands are random variables. The Gaussian noise model and a modified statistical network assessment process framework are used to characterize the probabilistic distributions of physical-layer impairments for each demand, based on which a heuristic algorithm is proposed to select a set of regenerator sites with minimum blocking probabilities. Our method achieves the same blocking probabilities with on average 10% less regenerator sites compared with the greedy constrained-routing regenerator allocation method, and obtains blocking probabilities two orders of magnitude lower than that of the routing and reach method with the same number of regenerator sites

Regenerator Site Predeployment in Nonlinear Dynamic Flexible-Grid Networks

A regenerator predeployment algorithm is proposed in dynamic translucent flexible-grid networks based on the GN model. The randomness of traffic bandwidth requests is exploited to allocate regenerators efficiently. Our method accommodates 30% more demands than benchmark methods

Multiscale Soft Surface Instabilities for Adhesion Enhancement

Soft polymeric gels are susceptible to buckling-induced instabilities due to their great compliance to surface deformations. The instability patterns at soft interfaces have great potential in engineering functional materials with unique surface properties. In this work, we systematically investigated how swelling-induced instability patterns effectively improved the adhesive properties of soft polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) gels. We directly imaged the formations of the surface instability features during the relaxation process of a swollen gel substrate. The features were found to greatly increase the adhesion energy of soft gels across multiple length scales, and the adhesion enhancement was associated with the variations of contact lines both inside the contact region and along the contact periphery. We expect that these studies of instability patterns due to swelling will further benefit the design of functional interfaces in various engineering applications

Multiscale Soft Surface Instabilities for Adhesion Enhancement

Soft polymeric gels are susceptible to buckling-induced instabilities due to their great compliance to surface deformations. The instability patterns at soft interfaces have great potential in engineering functional materials with unique surface properties. In this work, we systematically investigated how swelling-induced instability patterns effectively improved the adhesive properties of soft polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) gels. We directly imaged the formations of the surface instability features during the relaxation process of a swollen gel substrate. The features were found to greatly increase the adhesion energy of soft gels across multiple length scales, and the adhesion enhancement was associated with the variations of contact lines both inside the contact region and along the contact periphery. We expect that these studies of instability patterns due to swelling will further benefit the design of functional interfaces in various engineering applications.Civil Engineering and Geoscience