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We demonstrate a novel low-cost photonic-layer secured communication system that incorporates intensity modulation direct detection (IM/DD) scheme with a 4-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM-4). In the proposed system, the signal is buried under an amplifier’s spontaneous emission (ASE) noise and coded with a spectral phase mask. As a result, the signal is stealthy and encrypted in both frequency and time domains. We analyze the reception performance of the secured signal under direct detection, and analytically compare its SNR with a conventional PAM-4 system, demonstrating that only an eligible receiver achieves a decryption of the stealthy and encrypted signal. Furthermore, we experimentally validate these findings showing a significant processing gain, which allows an error-free reception, despite a negative optical-SNR.

We propose a novel photonic spectral processor which overcomes current 0.8GHz spectral resolution limitation. The new spectral processor uses a Fabry Perot interferometer array located before the dispersive element of the system, thus significantly improving the spectral separation resolution, which is now limited by the Fabry Perot interferometers’ full width at half maximum rather than the dispersive element’s spectral resolution. A proof of concept experiment was performed utilizing two Fabry-Perot interferometers and a diffractive optical grating with a spectral resolution of 6.45GHz, achieving high spectral resolution of 577MHz. Further improvement of the experimental setup can result in resolution of about 50MHz.

We show in an experiment a covert transmission of QPSK and 64-QAM over up to 100km of SSMF, digitally encrypted with spectral phase mask, buried under ASE noise with negative -15 dB/0.1nm OSNR. We record a post-FEC error free BER for a stealthy channel, at 16 Gbps on a single polarization.

The Kerr effect in silicon ring resonators (RRs) is widely used for switching and regeneration of optical communications signals. In addition, it has been shown to considerably limit the performance of refractive index sensors based on high quality-factor RRs. While the Kerr effect's impact on output signals of silicon RRs is well known, its influence on the properties of the output noise is yet to be explored. In this work, we analytically and numerically analyze the noise properties of Kerr effect in silicon RRs. We show that the input power, RR's bandwidth, and input optical signal to noise ratio (OSNR) have significant influence on the power and distribution of the output noise. We use the developed noise model to evaluate the RR's noise figure and output noise distribution for optical communications and sensing applications. These noise properties can be used for the design and performance evaluation of optical communications systems and sensors using silicon photonic RRs.

Blind channel estimation is critical for digital signal processing (DSP) compensation of optical fiber communications links. The overall channel consists of deterministic distortions such as chromatic dispersion, as well as random and time varying distortions including polarization mode dispersion and timing jitter. It is critical to obtain robust acquisition and tracking methods for estimating these distortions effects, which, in turn, can be compensated by means of DSP such as Maximum Likelihood Sequence Estimation (MLSE). Here, a novel blind estimation algorithm is developed, accompanied by inclusive mathematical modeling, and followed by extensive set of real time experiments that verify quantitatively its performance and convergence. The developed blind channel estimation is used as the basis of an MLSE receiver. The entire scheme is fully implemented in a 65 nm CMOS Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). Experimental measurements and results are presented, including Bit Error Rate (BER) measurements, which demonstrate the successful data recovery by the MLSE ASIC under various channel conditions and distances.

A method for optimizing non-uniform quantization thresholds of an ADC in MLSE-based receivers in an optical communication channel, according to which a Quantized Noise (QN) distortion model, in which the quantization and the channel additive noises are combined is generated. The model is applied on the channel deterministic analog states x(n) and on sequences of analog states and transition probabilities are calculated, which will be used later on to calculate the BER, from channel deterministic states and sequences of channel deterministic states into the discrete ADC quantization regions. Real value outputs of the ADC are replaced by the transition probabilities and non-uniform quantization of the ADC is performed, with thresholds that are optimized for MLSE detection, to obtain maximal statistical separation. A DSP circuit computes, the MLSE metrics and the transition probabilities of the analog states into the quantized values, for each of the channel deterministic state; and an MLSE decoder post-processes transition probabilities replacing the ADC outputs and representing analog regions, based on the derived transition probabilities.

112Gbit/sec DSP-based single channel transmission of PAM4 at 56Gbaud over 15GHz of effective analog bandwidth is experimentally demonstrated. The DSP enables use of mature 25G optoelectronics for 2-10km datacenter intra-connections, and 8Tbit/sec over 80km interconnections between data centers.

We propose a method for covert fiber-optic communication in both frequency and time domains. The power spectral density of the pulse sequence bearing the information is spread in the frequency domain below the noise level by means of sampling. In addition, temporal phase encryption prevents the coherent addition of the various pulses in the frequency domain, further reducing the signal power spectral density. Thus, there is no need to transmit the signal within the bandwidth of a public user in order to spectrally conceal the signal. Temporal spreading of the pulse sequence is achieved by spectral phase encoding, resulting in a stealthy temporal and spectral transmission.