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The transmission improvement obtained through the usage of pre-emphasis (PE) of single-band and multi-band orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) ultra-wideband (UWB) signals using directly modulated lasers (DML) along long-reach passive optical networks is experimentally evaluated. Additionally, OFDM-UWB sub-bands with central frequencies above the cut-off frequency of the DML are experimentally considered in order to evaluate extending the transmission capacity through the usage of PE. In case of single-band transmission, PE improves the bit error ratio (BER) of several OFDM-UWB sub-bands by more than two orders of magnitude in back-to-back conditions as well as after transmission along 100 km of standard single-mode fiber transmission (SSMF). Such improvement is limited by the reduced intensity modulation response variation of the DML within the passband of each OFDM-UWB sub-band, as fixed modulation index is considered in all tested cases. Considering multi-band transmission along 100 km of SSMF, PE allows doubling the number of transmitted sub-bands before a BER exceedingis achieved for any of the sub-bands and an optical signal-to-noise ratio of 25 dB0.1 nm. Such improvement is obtained as PE changes the effective modulation depth of each transmitted OFDM-UWB sub-band, so that equalized signal power after detection and almost identical BER in all OFDM-UWB sub-bands occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intensity distortion resulting from sideband suppression in direct detection systems is investigated analytically and through numerical simulation for unipolar binary and alternate mark inversion formats. A method to calculate the sequence leading to the highest eye opening penalty is proposed, based on the characterization of the distortion originated by the Hilbert transform of an isolated pulse and constructive/destructive addition of the distortions of pulses in different time slots. The application of the proposed method to a practical transmitter is assessed, and accurate results are shown for signals without complete sideband suppression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance assessment of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing signals in direct-detection transmission systems by using the error vector magnitude and several bit error ratio approaches is analyzed and compared through numerical simulation. It is shown that excellent accuracy of the bit error ratio estimates is obtained by a semi-analytical Gaussian approach for all the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing system configurations analyzed and that the error vector magnitude only provides reliable estimates of the system performance when the system is dominantly impaired by noise. Additionally, a novel Q-factor approach for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing optical signals showing improved bit error ratio estimates is also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of the switching window shape on the performance of a chain of reamplification, reshaping, and retiming all-optical regenerators based on a non-linear gate is investigated numerically. A method to estimate the chain performance that considers the amplitude fluctuations due to timing jitter and noise redistribution along the chain is proposed. The results show that the rectangular switching window is not appropriate for reamplification, reshaping, and retiming regenerators, and the optimum shape of the switching window depends on the number of regenerators of the chain, optical noise power, and timing jitter levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An improved model to discriminate the adiabatic and transient frequency chirping in directly modulated lasers (DMLs) is proposed. Such a model is very useful for evaluating per se the effects of modulation-induced adiabatic and transient frequency chirping of DMLs on optical communication system performance. It is shown that the mostly used model, relating the frequency deviation to the optical power waveform at laser output, can lead to remarkable inaccuracy in performance evaluation of directly-modulated (DM) multi-span systems operating at very high bit rates, such as 40 Gbit s-1, by under-estimating the DML transient chirp. Using numerical simulation, a good agreement of the frequency chirping predicted by the proposed model with the one estimated by the laser rate equations is shown. Its good accuracy on assessing the performance of a DM multi-span system operating at 40 Gbit s-1 is also reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the accuracy of a Gaussian approach (GA) developed to estimate the performance of a direct-detection optical receiver with arbitrary optical and electrical filtering and in the presence of partially polarized noise due to polarization-dependent loss (PDL). The accuracy is assessed by comparison of the performance estimates obtained from the GA with the estimates obtained from a rigorous method (RM) based on the calculation of the moment-generating function of the current at the optical receiver output. We show that the GA has a good accuracy when considering the variation of the optical filter bandwidth, extinction ratio, degree of polarization of the noise (DOP), and angle between signal and noise polarizations. However, it fails to predict the receiver sensitivity within 2 dB of the RM when DOP is greater than 0.7 and signal and noise polarizations are orthogonal in the Jones space. Nevertheless, it is shown that the GA provides receiver sensitivity estimates with good accuracy in most cases of long-haul optical communication systems influenced by PDL, where the typical average DOP is below 0.15. Due to its simplicity, shorter computation time, and good accuracy, the GA is a good tool to assess the performance of such optical systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A transparent optical network (TON) composed by optical add-drop multiplexers based on arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) with fabrication errors is optimized for 10 Gbit/s per channel and channel spacing of 25 GHz. The optimization takes into account the effect of inter-symbol interference, amplified spontaneous emission noise accumulation, and coherent and incoherent homodyne crosstalk. Numerical results reveal that AWG fabrication errors can have a high influence on the TON performance; however, in all investigated situations, they do not affect the AWG parameters values corresponding to the optimum AWG frequency response. This surprising behavior is due to the fabrication errors affect mainly the AWG response outside the passband for the required AWG crosstalk level. It is shown that the optimum AWG frequency response is a flat-top response with a mean amplitude response outside the passband lower than -30 dB and the switch isolation should exceed 30 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple method to evaluate the performance of transparent optical networks (TON) that takes into account the incoherent homodyne crosstalk, signal distortion, inter-symbol interference (ISI), amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise, and arbitrary optical and electrical filters is proposed. This method combines the effect of the incoherent homodyne crosstalk with an exhaustive Gaussian approximation for the influence of ASE noise, signal distortion, and ISI. It is shown that the incoherent homodyne crosstalk penalty depends on the ASE noise accumulated in the TON, ISI, and extinction ratio. The proposed method estimates are compared with experimental results published by other authors. Good agreement is observed for one, two, and four incoherent homodyne crosstalk signals, revealing that the proposed method provides accurate estimates even when the methods based on a Gaussian approximation for the incoherent homodyne crosstalk fail. The proposed method is used to assess the performance of a TON composed by optical add-drop multiplexers based on arrayed waveguide gratings. Results reveal that incoherent homodyne crosstalk, ASE noise, and ISI impair the TON performance and, therefore, none can be neglected in the TON design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces the main achievements resulting from the DWDM/ODC project. The five areas of research activity within the DWDM/ODC project cover some of the main issues of design and development of dense wavelength division multiplexing systems for transparent optical networks. These issues are: performance assessment with arbitrary optical filtering; performance of signaling formats; dispersion compensation strategies for directly and externally modulated systems in presence of nonlinear transmission-induced degradation; and the impact of noise and crosstalk in the extent of transparent optical networks. All five areas of research activity have contributed significantly to a better understanding of the limitations present in dense wavelength division multiplexing systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of the concatenation of arbitrary optical multiplexers/demultiplexers (MUX/DEMUXs) on the probability density function (PDF) of the output current of a transparent optical network is assessed. All PDF results obtained analytically are compared with estimates from Monte Carlo simulation and an excellent agreement is achieved. The non-Gaussian behavior of the PDFs. previously reported by other authors for square-law detectors, is significantly enhanced with the number of nodes increase due to the noise accumulation along the cascade of MUX/DEMUXs. The increase of the MUX/DEMUXs bandwidth and detuning also enhances the PDFs non-Gaussian behavior The PDF shape variation with the detuning depends strongly on the number of nodes. Explanations for the Gaussian approximation (GA) accuracy on the assessment of the performance of a concatenation of optical MUX/DEMUXs are also provided. For infinite extinction ratio and tuned MUX/DEMUXs, the GA error probabilities are, in general, pessimistic, due to the inaccurate estimation of the error probability for both bits. For low extinction ratio, the GA is very accurate due to a balance between the error probabilities estimated for the bits ‘1’ and ‘0.’ With the detuning increase, the GA estimates can become optimistic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a numerical method to obtain, through statistically correct simulation from a set of improved nonlinear stochastic rate equations, a rigorous description of laser dynamics taking multiple reflections in the external cavity into account. From the stochastic rate equations, expressions for the relative intensity noise and frequency noise spectra, taking into account all Langevin noise sources, are presented and utilized to validate the simulation method. It is shown that the main features of the five regimes of feedback effects introduced by Tkach and Chraplyvy, and of other effects, are properly obtained using the numerical simulator presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an introductory statement to the special May 2005 issue of the journal "Fiber and Integrated Optics."