This paper describes mobile backhaul optical access network designs for future cellular systems, in particular, for those systems that exploit coordinated multipoints (CoMP) transmission/reception techniques. Wavelength-division-multiplexing passive optical networks (WDM-PON) are primarily considered and two proposals to enhance mobile backhaul capability of WDM-PONs for CoMP are presented. One is physical X2 links that support dedicated low latency and high capacity data exchange between base stations (BSs). The other is multicasting in WDM-PONs. It effectively reduces data/control transmission time from central node to multiple BSs joining CoMP. Evaluation results verify that the proposed X2 links and the multicasting enable more BSs to join CoMP by enhancing the mobile backhaul capability, which results in improved service quality for users.

In this paper, we demonstrate a 10.66 Gb/s bidirectional TDM over long-reach WDM hybrid PON supported by distributed Raman amplification, and the power budget margin is measured to be 15 dB for downstream transmission and 12 dB for upstream transmission, with dual Raman pump power of 300 mW.

Wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technology offers the capability of building wide-area networks with high speed. Reconfigurability is a key feature of a WDM network that enables the network logical topology to change dynamically in response to the changing traffic patterns. There are two important issues involved in the reconfiguration of a network logical topology. One is how to determine the new logical topology corresponding to the current topology. It needs to consider a trade-off between the performance of the new target topology and the cost of the topology transition from the current topology to the new one. The other is how to determine the transition sequence from the current topology to the new one. It needs to control the disruption to the network as less as possible during the reconfiguration process. In this paper, we focus on the latter problem and propose several heuristic algorithms that reconfigure logical topologies in wide-area wavelength-routed optical networks. Our reconfiguration algorithms attempt to control the disruption to the network as less as possible during the reconfiguration process. For this purpose, a lightpath is taken as the minimum reconfiguration unit. The proposed algorithms are evaluated by using an NFSNET-like network model with 16 nodes and 25 links. The results show that very simple algorithms provide very small computational complexity but poor performance, i.e., large network disruption, and that an efficient algorithm provides reasonable computational complexity and very good performance. More complex algorithms may improve performance somewhat further but have unrealistically large computational complexity.

The shuffle-like network (SL-Net) is known as a logical topology for WDM-based multihop packet-switched networks. Even if we fix the logical topology to an SL-Net, we can still reposition nodes in the SL-Net by re-tuning wavelengths of transmitters and/or receivers. In conventional node placement algorithms, routes between nodes are assumed to be given. In this paper, we propose two heuristic node placement algorithms for the SL-Net to decrease the average end-to-end packet transmission delay under a given traffic matrix in the case that routes are design variables. The principal idea is to prevent too many traffic flows from overlapping on any link. To attain the idea, in one of the algorithms, a node is selected one by one in a decreasing order of the sums of sending and receiving traffic requirements in nodes, and its placement and routes between the node and all the nodes already placed are simultaneously decided so that the maximum of the amounts of traffic on links at the moment is minimum. In the other algorithm, a node is selected in the same way, and first it is placed so that the average distance between the node and all the nodes already placed is as large as possible, and then routes between the node and all the nodes already placed are decided so that the maximum of the amounts of traffic on links at the moment is minimum. Numerical results for four typical traffic matrices show that either of the proposed algorithms has better performance than conventional algorithms for each matrix, and show that the proposed algorithms, which are based on a jointed optimization approach of node placement and routing, are superior to algorithms which execute node placement and routing as two isolated phases.

We consider the multicast routing problem for large-scale wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical networks where transmission requests are established by point-to-multipoint connections. To realize multicast routing in WDM optical networks, some nodes need to have light (optical) splitting capability. A node with splitting capability can forward an incoming message to more than one output link. We consider the problem of minimizing the number of split-capable nodes in the network for a given set of multicast requests. The number of wavelengths is fixed and given a priori. We propose a genetic algorithm that exploits the combination of alternative shortest paths for the given multicast requests in order to minimize the number of required split-capable nodes. This algorithm is examined for two realistic networks constructed based on the locations of major cities in Ibaraki Prefecture and those in Kanto District in Japan. Our experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can reduce more than 10% of split-capable nodes compared with other routing algorithms whereby the optimization for the split-capable node placement is not taken into account.

We consider the routing and wavelength assignment (RWA) problem for large-scale WDM optical networks where each transmission request is served by an all-optical lightpath without wavelength conversion. Two heuristic RWA algorithms are proposed in order to minimize the number of wavelengths required for a given set of connection requests. The proposed algorithms are evaluated and compared with the existing algorithms for two realistic networks constructed based on the locations of major cities in Ibaraki Prefecture and those in Kanto District in Japan.

Advanced optical transmission fibers have enabled 40-Gb/s transmission over distances of up to 5200km with 100-km amplified spans. This paper will discuss a number of the enabling fiber properties including dispersion, dispersion slope, Raman gain efficiency, and polarization mode dispersion.

The present paper discusses several promising application areas for optical data links based on high-performance vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser diodes (VCSELs). Both 850 and 980 nm emission wavelength devices realized in the GaAs-AlGaAs or InGaAs-AlGaAs material systems are considered. We show data transmission results of 10 Gb/s signals at 830 nm wavelength over a new high-bandwidth multimode silica fiber of up to 1.6 km length. The same fiber type is employed to demonstrate the first 40 Gb/s transport over 300 m distance by means of a 4-channel coarse wavelength-division multiplexing approach. A first 1 10 linear VCSEL array capable of 10 Gb/s per channel operation is presented for use in next generation parallel optical modules. To improve the singlemode emission characteristics for output power in the 5 mW range we introduce a new device concept incorporating a long monolithic cavity. For low-cost short-distance data links we investigate graded-index polymer optical fibers and report on up to 9 Gb/s transmission over a length of 100 m. Polymer waveguides are also used in an optical layer of a hybrid electrical-optical printed circuit board. Transmitted 10 Gb/s optical data over a prototype board show the potential of this new technology. Finally we present two-dimensional VCSEL arrays for highly parallel data transport on a CMOS chip level. Both 980 and 850 nm bottom emitting devices with modulation capabilities up to 12.5 Gb/s are discussed.

Recent progress in ultrahigh bit rate optical transmission using time-division multiplexing and wavelength-division multiplexing is described. Latest over 1 Tbit/s transmission experiments are shown and the possibility of higher bit rate transmission is discussed.

Recent progress in ultrahigh bit rate optical transmission using time-division multiplexing and wavelength-division multiplexing is described. Latest over 1 Tbit/s transmission experiments are shown and the possibility of higher bit rate transmission is discussed.

We report on the demonstration of a fast restorable all-optical WDM network. This network consisted of four 44 optical cross-connects (OXC's) and four in-line optical amplifiers. These OXC's monitored not only the status of various network elements and quality of optical signals but also the optical path of each channel continuously. Thus, this network could automatically identify the causes of most network failures. For the fast restoration, we implemented these OXC's by using thermo-optic polymer switches (switching time: < 1.5 ms) and used hardware interrupt when LOS was detected. In addition, we used a pre-planned routing table made by using a simple heuristic routing and wavelength assignment algorithm. The results show that this network could be restored from any single link failure within 6 ms even when the restoration path was 400 km.

We report on the demonstration of a fast restorable all-optical WDM network. This network consisted of four 44 optical cross-connects (OXC's) and four in-line optical amplifiers. These OXC's monitored not only the status of various network elements and quality of optical signals but also the optical path of each channel continuously. Thus, this network could automatically identify the causes of most network failures. For the fast restoration, we implemented these OXC's by using thermo-optic polymer switches (switching time: < 1.5 ms) and used hardware interrupt when LOS was detected. In addition, we used a pre-planned routing table made by using a simple heuristic routing and wavelength assignment algorithm. The results show that this network could be restored from any single link failure within 6 ms even when the restoration path was 400 km.

We propose a novel optical add/drop multiplexer (OADM) utilizing free spectral range (FSR) periodicity of an arrayed-waveguide multiplexer (AWG). In this OADM, wavelength-division multiplex (WDM) signal is multiplexed and/or de-multiplexed in two steps. Power penalty due to coherent crosstalk is drastically reduced compared with that of conventional OADM where AWG multiplexers are opposite to each other. The calculated power penalty due to the coherent crosstalk is about 0.7 dB after the 16 OADMs in the case of 128 wavelengths. It was confirmed through a computer simulation that more than one hundred channels at 10 Gbps data rate could be accommodated in an OADM network with 16 nodes. These results show that the OADM network with over 1 Tbps capacity and 16 nodes could be constructed.

We propose a novel optical add/drop multiplexer (OADM) utilizing free spectral range (FSR) periodicity of an arrayed-waveguide multiplexer (AWG). In this OADM, wavelength-division multiplex (WDM) signal is multiplexed and/or de-multiplexed in two steps. Power penalty due to coherent crosstalk is drastically reduced compared with that of conventional OADM where AWG multiplexers are opposite to each other. The calculated power penalty due to the coherent crosstalk is about 0.7 dB after the 16 OADMs in the case of 128 wavelengths. It was confirmed through a computer simulation that more than one hundred channels at 10 Gbps data rate could be accommodated in an OADM network with 16 nodes. These results show that the OADM network with over 1 Tbps capacity and 16 nodes could be constructed.

The present paper discusses several promising application areas for optical data links based on high-performance vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser diodes (VCSELs). Both 850 and 980 nm emission wavelength devices realized in the GaAs-AlGaAs or InGaAs-AlGaAs material systems are considered. We show data transmission results of 10 Gb/s signals at 830 nm wavelength over a new high-bandwidth multimode silica fiber of up to 1.6 km length. The same fiber type is employed to demonstrate the first 40 Gb/s transport over 300 m distance by means of a 4-channel coarse wavelength-division multiplexing approach. A first 1 10 linear VCSEL array capable of 10 Gb/s per channel operation is presented for use in next generation parallel optical modules. To improve the singlemode emission characteristics for output power in the 5 mW range we introduce a new device concept incorporating a long monolithic cavity. For low-cost short-distance data links we investigate graded-index polymer optical fibers and report on up to 9 Gb/s transmission over a length of 100 m. Polymer waveguides are also used in an optical layer of a hybrid electrical-optical printed circuit board. Transmitted 10 Gb/s optical data over a prototype board show the potential of this new technology. Finally we present two-dimensional VCSEL arrays for highly parallel data transport on a CMOS chip level. Both 980 and 850 nm bottom emitting devices with modulation capabilities up to 12.5 Gb/s are discussed.

In this paper, we investigate the blocking characteristics of all-optical WDM (Wavelength-Division Multiplexing) networks under distributed wavelength assignment policies. For assigning wavelengths in a distributed manner, we consider two algorithms: random and locally-most-used algorithm. For a random wavelength assignment policy, we develop new blocking models of unidirectional/bidirectional ring networks based on the M/M/c/c queueing models under uniform/nonuniform traffic conditions. These models are shown to be more accurate than the previous blocking models since our approach considers the large traffic correlation among links in ring networks. We also analyze the blocking performance of the locally-most-used algorithm by comparing with that of the globally-most-used algorithm in fixed routing networks. We show that our analysis models match well with the simulation results in ring and mesh networks. Through the comparison with the previous centralized/distributed algorithms, it is demonstrated that the distributed locally-most-used algorithm is computationally efficient with good blocking performance.

High-capacity multiwavelength ring networks with bidirectional WDM add/drop multiplexer (WADM) having built-in EDFAs is analyzed and demonstrated. All WDM channels can be added/dropped independently in each direction. The capacity of a bidirectional ring is found to be approximately twice that of an unidirectional ring. An eight-wavelength WADM is demonstrated for a data rate of 10 Gb/s per channel, providing an overall capacity of 80 Gb/s. The performance of the add/drop multiplexer is not degraded by backward backscattering light. The same WADM is also demonstrated to be able to serve as a bidirectional in-line optical amplifier.

Wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) technique employing broadband erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs) is considered to be the most effective solution to respond to the increasing demand for transmission capacity. As a means to extend the optical bandwidth outside the conventional band (C-band) ranging from 1530 to 1565 nm, silica-based EDFAs (EDSFAs) operating within the long-wavelength band (L-band) ranging form 1570 to 1600 nm seem to be the most attractive candidate because they can be composed of the same material as C-band EDSFAs, i. e. silica-based Al codoped EDF. However, there exist several discrepancies between C-band and L-band EDSFAs which originate inevitably from the difference in the inversion level and the band location. This paper reviews the basic characteristics of L-band EDSFAs, which have been a controversial issue for practical application of the L-band EDSFAs, such as required EDSF lengths, power conversion efficiency, noise performances, and optical bandwidth. We will also describe L-band EDSFAs' behavior under circumstantial changes, such as the variation of the span-loss, the temperature of the EDSF, and the number of wavelengths, which are expected in the field WDM systems. The dynamic-gain-tilt and temperature-induced change in the gain spectra of L-band EDSFAs are more significant than those of C-band EDSFAs are. Moreover, L-band EDSFAs exhibit a greater apparent inhomogeneous broadening effect, which may hinder the precise gain control when the number of wavelengths is dynamically changed. All of these characteristics must be considered for future designs of broadband WDM networks.

For measuring high frequency ultrasonic fields which are often spatially distributed and transient, an array probe with small element sensors is highly required. In this paper, we propose a fiber-optic micro-probe array which is based on wavelength-division-multiplexing technique. The element sensor consists of a micro optical cavity of 100 µm long made at the end of optical fiber. Optical path length of the cavity is changed by the applied acoustic field, and the modulation of output light intensity is monitored at another end of the fiber for the information of the acoustic field. Array of sensor elements and a light source as well as a photo detector are connected together by an optical star coupler. The Fabry-Perot resonance wavelength of each sensor element is designed different one another, and the outputs from the sensors are discriminated by sweeping the wavelength of light source with the use of a tunable semiconductor laser. In this paper, the performance of the micro-probe array is discussed experimentally.

The wavelength demultiplexer, using cascaded optical fiber gratings and circulators, was proposed and developed for application to optically amplified wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) submarine cable systems with 100 GHz channel spacing. Our proposed demultiplexer cannot only achieve high wavelength selectivity, small excess loss and effective allocation of dispersion compensation fibers for each channel, but also be upgraded without affecting other existing channels. By using this demultiplexer, it has been successfully confirmed that 8 WDM channels were demultiplexed even after 6,000 km transmission including separate compensation of accumulated chromatic dispersion in each channel.