Demonstration of novel spectrum-efficient elastic optical path network with per-channel variable capacity of 40 Gb/s to over 400 Gb/s

Abstract

Elastic Optical Networking (EON) is a solution that promises to improve infrastructure utilisation by implementing flexible spectrum allocation with small spectrum slots instead of the rigid 50-GHz fixed grid of current DWDM deployments. This new EON flexible grid supports Bandwidth Variable Transponders (BVT) that can tune their bit rate and bandwidth dynamically with a trade off between reach and capacity. However, when BVTs need to transmit at low bit rates, part of their capacity is wasted. Therefore, the Sliceable Bandwidth Variable Transponder (SBVT) has been proposed, which can provide even higher levels of elasticity and efficiency to the network. SBVTs enable transmitting from one point to multiple destinations, changing the traffic rate to each destination and the number of destinations on demand. The aim of this work is to identify the target cost of 400 Gb/s and 1 Tb/s SBVTs to reduce, by at least 30%, transponder costs in a core network scenario. This target cost is calculated in relation to estimations for non-sliceable transponders of 400 Gb/s and 1 Tb/s. In light of our results, cost savings of 30% are feasible for 1 Tb/s transponders in the next nine years with a higher cost than non-sliceable transponders. Savings of 30% for 400 Gb/s case are possible in the short-term before 1 Tb/s SBVTs can appear in the market. Feasibility of such savings with a target cost higher than current non-sliceable transponder shows that SBVT can be a reality.

Photonic Network Technologies for New Generation Network

“…The transmission capacity per fiber can be increased to over 60 Tbit/s by using various optical multiplexing methods and modulation formats, such as differential quadrature phase shift keying (DQPSK) and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) [7], [8]. In addition, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) technology [9] has the potential to enable flexible-bandwidth transmission.…”

Recent Advances in Elastic Optical Networking

“…Since the first concept-proof demonstration in 2008 [32], a number of elastic optical networking testbeds have been reported. For example, the University of Essex reported a field trial with flexible spectrum switching nodes over 620 km field-installed fiber links [33].…”

Elastic Optical Path Network Architecture: Framework for Spectrally-Efficient and Scalable Future Optical Networks

“…This allows us to employ a very tight subchannel spacing that reaches the baud rate of each subchannel, and this results in a high SE. By adjusting the baud rate and the bits-per-symbol of each subchannel and the number of subchannels, we can generate an elastic optical channel with the required data rate and optical reach while minimizing the spectral width [6], [9]. There are two common schemes for achieving a spectrally-efficient superchannel transmitter [12]: optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) [13] and Nyquist-WDM [14].…”

“…The optical bandwidth of the self-routing window of the flexible bandwidth ROADM/WXC is contiguously configured according to the spectral width of the incoming optical signal. A possible architecture for a flexible bandwidth ROADM/WXC is a broadcast-and-select configuration, employing optical splitters at the input and bandwidth-variable wavelength selective switches (WSSs) at the output ports [6], [9] as shown in Fig. 4.…”