Ultra-High-Capacity Optical Communications and Networking: Towards 100 Tb/s Communication on a Single Optical Fiber

Stanford University, Stanford CA

Investigators

Abstract

We propose to develop technologies which will enable communication on a single optical fiber at rates in excess of 100 Tb/s within a few years. To accomplish this in the low-loss window of silica fibers (1200-1700 nm), there will be a need for novel very wideband devices, particularly optical amplifiers. In addition, modulation techniques with spectral efficiencies well in excess of unity will be needed. Our research activities will be centered in these two areas. We will investigate modulation techniques, and associated detection schemes, suitable to obtain a spectral efficiency of 4 b/s/Hz by the end of the project. The techniques will be designed to be resistant to impairments due to PMD and fiber nonlinearities. In particular, we will investigate novel techniques using appropriate combinations of PSK, QAM, and polarization-based techniques. Coherent detection will be utilized where indicated to boost spectral efficiency. We will investigate fiber optical parametric amplifiers (OPAs) and discrete Raman amplifiers made from novel highly-nonlinear fibers. These fibers will have nonlinearity coefficients exceeding those of today's most nonlinear fibers by several orders of magnitude. These fibers will enable the development of novel nonlinear amplifiers , with gain bandwidth of a single device covering most of the 1200-1700 nm window. These devices will also use shorter fibers and lower pump powers than their current versions, and may thus lead to practical applications in a relatively short time.