Abstract: A network element is disclosed herein. The network element comprises an add transceiver to generate a first optical signal having one or more optical channel; a line port optically coupled to an optical fiber link; an optical signal inspector operable to sample an optical power of one or more spectral slice of the one or more optical channel; a WSS operable to attenuate the one or more spectral slice of the first optical signal; a processor; and a memory storing instructions that cause the processor to: determine a sample power profile based on the optical power of the one or more spectral slices; generate an attenuation profile based on the sample power profile and a target power profile; and apply the attenuation profile to cause the WSS to shape the one or more spectral slices of the first optical signal into the second optical signal.

Abstract: A multiplexer module and method are herein disclosed. The multiplexer module comprises a WSS configured to receive a plurality of first optical signals, selectively multiplex the first optical signals into a second optical signal, and output the second optical signal; an OPM operable to determine a power of one or more slice within a sample optical signal, the sample optical signal being selected from a group consisting of a particular optical signal of the first optical signals and a portion of the second optical signal including the particular optical signal; a processor; and a memory storing instructions that cause the processor to: validate the particular optical signal using the power of one or more slice within the sample optical signal; and if the particular optical signal is valid, cause the WSS to open a particular passband so as to multiplex the particular optical signal into the second optical signal.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for performing asymmetric pulse-shaping filtering. In some implementations, a receiver comprises a detector circuit operable to receive optical signal data from an optical link. The receiver comprises a filter circuit, coupled to the detector circuit, operable to (i) filter the optical signal data according to an asymmetric filtering scheme and (ii) output the filtered optical signal data, wherein the asymmetric filtering scheme comprises utilizing a shaping filter with first criteria, the first criteria including one or more values greater than one or more values of second criteria utilized by a shaping filter at a transmitter, the transmitter communicating with the receiver.

Abstract: A communication system is configured to generate a perturbed signal by perturbing an amplitude of a spectrum of an original signal in one or more spectral regions, and to propagate the perturbed signal through components of the communication system. The communication system is further configured to obtain a measurement of the perturbed signal in a first spectral region of the one or more spectral regions following the propagation of the perturbed signal, and to calculate an estimate of an impairment associated with the communication system based on the measurement.

Abstract: A communication system is configured to generate a perturbed signal by perturbing an amplitude of a spectrum of an original signal in one or more spectral regions, and to propagate the perturbed signal through components of the communication system. The communication system is further configured to obtain a measurement of the perturbed signal in a first spectral region of the one or more spectral regions following the propagation of the perturbed signal, and to calculate an estimate of an impairment associated with the communication system based on the measurement.

Abstract: A first signal is generated having a first frequency spectrum comprising one or more stopbands in which components of the first signal exhibit attenuated energy relative to an average energy of the first signal. A second signal is generated having a second frequency spectrum comprising non-zero energy at frequencies within the one or more stopbands. A third signal is generated by a crosstalk-inducing subsystem from a combination of the first signal and the second signal. The third signal is detected at a receiver device and an estimate of crosstalk induced by the crosstalk-inducing subsystem is calculated using a measurement of the third signal at the frequencies within the one or more stopbands. According to some examples, the second frequency spectrum comprises a tone within at least one of the stopbands.