9 research outputs found
Flexible terabit/s Nyquist-WDM super-channels using a gain-switched comb source
Terabit/s super-channels are likely to become the standard for next-generation optical networks and optical interconnects. A particularly promising approach exploits optical frequency combs for super-channel generation. We show that injection locking of a gain-switched laser diode can be used to generate frequency combs that are particularly well suited for terabit/s super-channel transmission. This approach stands out due to its extraordinary stability and flexibility in tuning both center wavelength and line spacing. We perform a series of transmission experiments using different comb line spacings and modulation formats. Using 9 comb lines and 16QAM signaling, an aggregate line rate (net data rate) of 1.296 Tbit/s (1.109 Tbit/s) is achieved for transmission over 150 km of standard single mode fiber (SSMF) using a spectral bandwidth of 166.5 GHz, which corresponds to a (net) spectral efficiency of 7.8 bit/s/Hz (6.7 bit/s/Hz). The line rate (net data rate) can be boosted to 2.112 Tbit/s (1.867 Tbit/s) for transmission over 300 km of SSMF by using a bandwidth of 300 GHz and QPSK modulation on the weaker carriers. For the reported net data rates and spectral efficiencies, we assume a variable overhead of either 7\% or 20\% for forward- error correction depending on the individual sub-channel quality after fiber transmission
Coherent terabit communications with microresonator Kerr frequency combs
Optical frequency combs enable coherent data transmission on hundreds of
wavelength channels and have the potential to revolutionize terabit
communications. Generation of Kerr combs in nonlinear integrated microcavities
represents a particularly promising option enabling line spacings of tens of
GHz, compliant with wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) grids. However, Kerr
combs may exhibit strong phase noise and multiplet spectral lines, and this has
made high-speed data transmission impossible up to now. Recent work has shown
that systematic adjustment of pump conditions enables low phase-noise Kerr
combs with singlet spectral lines. Here we demonstrate that Kerr combs are
suited for coherent data transmission with advanced modulation formats that
pose stringent requirements on the spectral purity of the optical source. In a
first experiment, we encode a data stream of 392 Gbit/s on subsequent lines of
a Kerr comb using quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) and 16-state quadrature
amplitude modulation (16QAM). A second experiment shows feedback-stabilization
of a Kerr comb and transmission of a 1.44 Tbit/s data stream over a distance of
up to 300 km. The results demonstrate that Kerr combs can meet the highly
demanding requirements of multi-terabit/s coherent communications and thus
offer a solution towards chip-scale terabit/s transceivers
Optimally Coherent Kerr Combs Generated with Crystalline Whispering Gallery Mode Resonators for Ultrahigh Capacity Fiber Communications
International audienceOptical Kerr frequency combs are known to be effective coherent multiwavelength sources for ultrahigh capacity fiber communications. These combs are the frequency-domain counterparts of a wide variety of spatiotemporal dissipative structures, such as cavity solitons, chaos, or Turing patterns (rolls). In this Letter, we demonstrate that Turing patterns, which correspond to the so-called primary combs in the spectral domain, are optimally coherent in the sense that for the same pump power they provide the most robust carriers for coherent data transmission in fiber communications using advanced modulation formats. Our model is based on a stochastic Lugiato-Lefever equation which accounts for laser pump frequency jitter and amplified spontaneous emission noise induced by the erbium-doped fiber amplifier. Using crystalline whispering-gallery-mode resonators with quality factor QâŒ109 for the comb generation, we show that when the noise is accounted for, the coherence of a primary comb is significantly higher than the coherence of their solitonic or chaotic counterparts for the same pump power. In order to confirm this theoretical finding, we perform an optical fiber transmission experiment using advanced modulation formats, and we show that the coherence of the primary comb is high enough to enable data transmission of up to 144ââGbit/s per comb line, the highest value achieved with a Kerr comb so far. This performance evidences that compact crystalline photonic systems have the potential to play a key role in a new generation of coherent fiber communication networks, alongside fully integrated systems
Terabit/s communications using chip-scale frequency comb sources
High-speed optical interconnects rely on advanced wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) schemes. However, while photonic-electronic interfaces can be efficiently realized on silicon-on-insulator chips, dense integration of the necessary light sources still represents a major challenge. Chip-scale frequency comb sources present an attractive alternative for providing a multitude of optical carriers for WDM transmission. In this paper, we give an overview of our recent progress towards terabit communications with chip-scale frequency comb sources. In a first set of experiments, we demonstrate frequency comb generation based on silicon-organic hybrid (SOH) electro-optic modulators, enabling line rates up to 1.152 Tbit/s. In a second set of experiments, we use injection locking of a gain-switched laser diode to generate frequency combs. This approach leads to line rates of more than 2 Tbit/s. A third set of experiments is finally dedicated to using Kerr nonlinearities in integrated nonlinear microcavities for frequency comb generation. We demonstrate coherent communication using Kerr frequency comb sources, thereby achieving line rates up to 1.44 Tbit/s. Our experiments show that frequency comb generation in chip-scale devices represents a viable approach to terabit communications