Abstract: An array of optical amplifiers that recycles the unused pump power of some or all constituent amplifiers thereof, thereby beneficially improving pump-power utilization therein compared to that of conventional optical amplifiers. In an example embodiment, different amplifiers of the array can be configured to receive approximately equal pump power and be used to independently amplify different respective optical signals. In various embodiments, the unused pump power can be recycled using one or more optical couplers and/or optical paths that appropriately interconnect different amplifiers of the array. Some embodiments have one or more optical loops configured to operate as a ring laser that regenerates pump light in response to the unused pump power being coupled thereto. Some embodiments provide a spectral gain profile suitable for amplifying WDM signals in at least some of the constituent amplifiers of the array.

Abstract: An example apparatus includes a mode selective detector, a measurement module, a difference calculator and a threshold and alarm module. The mode selective detector detects a plurality of modes of a spatially multiplexed signal. The measurement module measures a parameter for the plurality of modes of the spatially multiplexed signal, wherein the parameter is a power or a signal to noise ratio (SNR). The difference calculator compares the measured parameter among a subset modes and/or among a known set of unperturbed parameters and determines a differential, the subset including at least one mode. The threshold and alarm module sets an alarm indicator when the differential is out of bounds.

Abstract: Cross-layer information associated with a software defined networking-based (SDN-based) communication network is collected. One or more updates are sent to one or more network elements in the SDN-based communication network to control one or more local decisions made at the one or more network elements. The one or more updates are based on at least a portion of the collected cross-layer information. Preferably, the collecting and sending steps are performed by a controller implementing an SDN management plane associated with the SDN-based communication network.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a polarization beam splitter (PBS) and an optical detector. The PBS is configured to receive a polarized optical signal transported via an optical communication path of an optical network. The detector is configured to receive from the PBS a first polarization component of the optical signal, and to produce a first electrical measure of the first polarization component. A processor is configured to determine a dynamic metric of the optical communication path based at least on the first electrical measure. Some embodiments also include a second detector configured to receive from the PBS a second polarization component of the optical signal. The second detector produces a second electrical measure of the second polarization component, and the processor is configured to determine the dynamic metric based on both the first and second electrical measures.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an optical transmitter configured to provide an optical signal amplitude-modulated among M different levels. A constellation control module is configured to provide a drive signal to control the optical signal. A feedback module is configured to receive a measure of spacing between amplitude peaks of a symbol constellation of the optical signal. The feedback module is further configured to regulate the constellation control module to adjust the optical signal in response to the measure of spacing.

Abstract: A system, for example an optical communication system, includes an optical transmitter. The transmitter is configured to direct towards an optical fiber a spatially multiplexed optical signal. The optical fiber is configured to convey data via the multiplexed optical signal from the transmitter to a receiver. The transmitter is configured to set a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) or a transmission capacity of the multiplexed optical signal to achieve a predetermined secrecy capacity of the transmission.

Abstract: An apparatus, e.g. an optical oscilloscope, includes an optical receiver front end, including an optical device, and an optical delay. The receiver front end is configured to receive at least one input optical signal and produce by the optical device at least first and second output optical signals. The receiver front end is further configured to gate said at least one input optical signal or said at least first and second output optical signals. An optical combiner is configured to combine said at least first and second output optical signals, and the optical delay is located in an optical path of said first optical output signal between said optical receiver front end and the optical combiner. An optical detector is configured to receive a combined optical signal from said optical combiner and to produce therefrom an analog-electrical signal representative of the combined optical signal.

Abstract: An optical line card includes a plurality of coherent receivers and a plurality of optical modulators. The coherent receivers are each configured to receive a corresponding channel of a received optical superchannel. The optical modulators are each configured transmit a corresponding channel of a transmitted optical superchannel. Each of a plurality of optical splitters is configured to receive a corresponding one of a plurality of unmodulated optical signals from an optical source external to the line card. Each splitter directs a first portion of light received by that splitter to a corresponding one of the coherent receivers, and a second portion of light received by that splitter to a corresponding one of said optical modulators.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an optical transmitter configured to provide an optical signal amplitude-modulated among M different levels. A constellation control module is configured to provide a drive signal to control the optical signal. A feedback module is configured to receive a measure of spacing between amplitude peaks of a symbol constellation of the optical signal. The feedback module is further configured to regulate the constellation control module to adjust the optical signal in response to the measure of spacing.

Abstract: An apparatus, e.g. an optical oscilloscope, includes an optical receiver front end, including an optical device, and an optical delay. The receiver front end is configured to receive at least one input optical signal and produce by the optical device at least first and second output optical signals. The receiver front end is further configured to gate said at least one input optical signal or said at least first and second output optical signals. An optical combiner is configured to combine said at least first and second output optical signals, and the optical delay is located in an optical path of said first optical output signal between said optical receiver front end and the optical combiner.

Abstract: A spatially multiplexed optical link having a plurality of transmission paths, wherein at least one transmission path is configured to carry an optical-pump signal while one or more other transmission paths carry data-bearing signals. Disposed within the optical link are an optical signal-distribution module and an amplifier module. The optical signal-distribution module is configured to couple portions of the optical-pump signal into the data-bearing transmission paths. The amplifier module is configured to amplify the data-bearing signals using these portions of the optical-pump signal as a power source in a suitable all-optical amplification scheme. The optical-pump signal can optionally be tapped and applied to a photovoltaic element configured to directly power a device, e.g., an optical performance monitor, or to charge the battery of that device to enable its autonomous operation if external electrical power is not available where the device is deployed.

Abstract: We disclose an optical transponder, in which one or more all-electronic feedback paths are used to obtain a relatively accurate estimate of the device-specific signal distortions in the transmitter portion thereof. The obtained estimate is used to enable the digital signal processor of the optical transponder to carry out electronic pre-distortion (EPD) that can significantly reduce or cancel these signal distortions without the use of detailed factory-calibration measurements or optics dedicated to feedback purposes. The use of all-electronic feedback paths may enable a beneficial reduction in the cost of the EPD functionality, e.g., by eliminating a significant extra cost associated with the implementation of optically generated feedback.

Abstract: A WDM system having at least two channels, each of which employs two polarizations, is arranged so that the start times of symbols carried by one polarization of a channel are displaced in time from the start times of symbols carried by the other polarization of that channel, e.g., the start time for each symbol on one polarization is not substantially synchronized with the closest-in-time symbol start time on the other polarization of that channel. Preferably, the data signals are modulated using a return-to-zero (RZ) format and the start times of the symbols of the data signal carried by one polarization of a channel is offset from the start time of the symbols data signal carried by the other polarization of that channel by between 20% to 80%—preferably 50%—of the symbol period of the data signals, when the data signals have the same symbol period.

Abstract: A digital-electronic-to-analog-optical converter, which has a structure consistent with a super-Mach-Zehnder interferometer, and which can perform the functionalities of both a Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) and a digital modulator uses a sub-Mach-Zender modulator to modulate optical wave signals propagating through its optical waveguide in a push-pull manner. The modulation performed is phase modulation realized with electrodes positioned near the optical wave guide where such electrodes carry modulation signals in digital, analog or discrete time signal format creating electromagnetic or electric fields that engage the optical wave signals traveling through the waveguide thus imparting a phase shift onto the optical wave signals. The amount of the phase shift can be implemented through the geometry of the electrodes, the length of time the modulating signal is applied, and the amplitude of the modulating signal.

Abstract: A space division multiplexed (SDM) transmission system that includes at least two segments of transmission media in which a spatial assignment of the two segments is different is provided. For example, the SDM transmission may include a first segment of transmission media having a first spatial assignment and a second segment of transmission media having a second spatial assignment, wherein the first spatial assignment differs from the second spatial assignment. An example method obtains an optical signal on a first segment of transmission media having a first spatial assignment and forwards the optical signal on a second segment of transmission media with a different spatial assignment. The transmission media may be a multi-core fiber (MCF), a multi-mode fiber (MMF), a few-mode fiber (FMF), or a ribbon cable comprising nominally uncoupled single-mode fiber (SMF).

Abstract: An example apparatus comprises an optical transmitter which includes a first processor and at least two optical modulators. The first processor is configured to generate a first electronic representation for each of at least two optical signals for carrying payload data modulated according to a one-dimensional (1-D) modulation format, and to induce on respective ones of the first electronic representations an amount of dispersion that depends on a power-weighted accumulated dispersion (ADPW) of a transmission link through which the at least two optical signals are to be transmitted thereby generating complex-valued electronic representations of pre-dispersion-compensated optical signals. Each of the at least two optical modulators modulate a respective analog version corresponding to a respective one of the complex-valued electronic representations onto a polarization of an optical carrier.

Abstract: We disclose an optical transponder, in which one or more all-electronic feedback paths are used to obtain a relatively accurate estimate of the device-specific signal distortions in the transmitter portion thereof. The obtained estimate is used to enable the digital signal processor of the optical transponder to carry out electronic pre-distortion (EPD) that can significantly reduce or cancel these signal distortions without the use of detailed factory-calibration measurements or optics dedicated to feedback purposes. The use of all-electronic feedback paths may enable a beneficial reduction in the cost of the EPD functionality, e.g., by eliminating a significant extra cost associated with the implementation of optically generated feedback.

Abstract: In a dual speed passive optical network, an optical line termination (OLT) transmits a communication signal having a 10-Gb/s partition and a 2.5-Gb/s partition. The 10-Gb/s partition includes a 10 G data signal and a 2.5 G clock signal so that the PLL of a 2.5 G (legacy) optical network termination (ONT) can remain locked while a 10 G ONT is receiving data. The 2.5 G clock signal includes 1-bit spike signals of greater amplitude than the 10 G data signal.

Abstract: The outage probability in an under-addressed optical MIMO system may be reduced by configuring an intra-link optical mode mixer to dynamically change the spatial-mode mixing characteristics of the link on a time scale that is faster than the channel coherence time. Provided that the MIMO system employs an FEC code that has a sufficient error-correcting capacity for correcting the amount of errors corresponding to an average state of the MIMO channel, this relatively fast dynamic change tends to reduce the frequency of events during which the number of errors per FEC-encoded block of data exceeds the error-correcting capacity of the FEC code.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a coherent optical receiver has a digital signal processor that processes one or more digital I/Q-signal pairs to recover data carried by a modulated optical signal in a manner that mitigates, based on calibration data retrieved from a memory or on appropriate performance measures and feedback mechanisms, the detrimental effects of frequency-dependent imbalances between the I and Q sub-channels of at least one of the I/Q channels of the receiver. In various embodiments, the calibration data can be generated and written into the memory at the fabrication facility or in situ while the receiver is being operated in a calibration mode. Alternatively or in addition, the calibration data can be generated and dynamically adjusted online during normal operation of the receiver.