Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for configuring a spectral loading pattern for a transmission line segment in an optical network, the method comprising obtaining at least one loading policy, activating at least one of the at least one loading policy, receiving a plurality of requested operations, obtaining one or more static datapoint and one or more dynamic datapoint associated with the transmission line segment, obtaining loading parameters and one or more loading algorithm from the at least one activated loading policy, generating a loading response according to the one or more loading algorithm, and changing a spectral loading pattern of the transmission line segment based on the loading response. The requested operations may identify operations to be executed in either of a current cycle or one or more subsequent cycle. The loading response may identify a subset of the operations to be executed in the current cycle.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are coherent transceivers and methods of using the same. One exemplary coherent transceiver may be provided with a coherent transmitter operable to transmit a first optical signal and a coherent receiver comprising a processor executing processor-executable code that when executed causes the processor to receive a second optical signal, the second optical signal being a reflection of the first optical signal, analyze the second optical signal to determine a first parameter indicative of a chromatic dispersion of the second optical signal, and determine a second parameter based on the first parameter. The second parameter may be indicative of a distance travelled by the first optical signal and the second optical signal through one or more fiber optic link having a known first location.

Abstract: Consistent with an aspect of the present disclosure, a package is provided that has a wall, the wall having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. A plurality of conductors is also provided. First portions of each of the plurality of conductors extend in a direction away from the first surface, the first portions of each of the plurality of conductor constituting a first waveguide having a first waveguide structure. In addition, second portions of each of the plurality of conductors are embedded in the wall, the second portions of each of the plurality of conductors constituting a second waveguide having a second waveguide structure. Further, third portions of each of the plurality of conductors constitute a third waveguide having the first waveguide structure. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.

Abstract: Consistent with an aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus is provided that includes a waveguide included in a photonic integrated circuit that is formed on a substrate. The waveguide includes a core layer that supports propagation of an optical mode having an evanescent tail. An absorbing layer is provided over a portion of the core, such that the evanescent tail of the optical mode extends into the absorbing layer to thereby generate electron-hole pairs in the absorbing layer and provide a photocurrent. The photocurrent can be monitored to indicate performance of devices on the PIC.

Abstract: A network or system in which a hub or primary node may communicate with a plurality of leaf or secondary nodes. The hub node may operate or have a capacity greater than that of the leaf nodes. Accordingly, relatively inexpensive leaf nodes may be deployed to receive data carrying optical signals from, and supply data carrying optical signals to, the hub node. One or more connections may couple each leaf node to the hub node, whereby each connection may include one or more spans or segments of optical fibers, optical amplifiers, optical splitters/combiners, and optical add/drop multiplexer, for example. Optical subcarriers may be transmitted over such connections, each carrying a data stream. The subcarriers may be generated by a combination of a laser and a modulator, such that multiple lasers and modulators are not required, and costs may be reduced.

Abstract: Systems and methods for more efficiently decoding convolutional LDPC encoded communication signals are described. A decoder circuit iteratively determines the values of received data bits and confidence values corresponding to the determined data bit values. Using the confidence values and one or both of check fail counters and log likelihood ratio (LLR) sign changes, the decoder circuit can determine that a desired level of confidence has been satisfied and can subsequently terminate decoding operations to save power.

Abstract: Consistent with an aspect of the present disclosure, a thermistor is provided in a pluggable module package to sense the temperature inside such package. A control circuit coupled to the thermistor activates a heater, also in the package, when the temperature inside the package falls below a predetermined value. As a result, the temperature within the package may be adjusted to reduce humidity and condensation to thereby prevent corrosion within the package. Moreover, a less expensive non-hermetic package, which is susceptible to moisture intrusion, may be employed.

Abstract: Networks and network elements having a service and power control orchestrator are disclosed, including a network element comprising a processor; a first port coupled to a first optical link carrying a first optical signal; a WSS having a multiplexer, a demultiplexer, and a control block operable to control the multiplexer/demultiplexer. The WSS operable to switch the first optical signal into a second optical signal. A second port is coupled to a second optical link, operable to carry the second optical signal, and in optical communication with the WSS. A memory stores an orchestrator application, an OTSA component, a service component, and instructions that cause the processor to: store a logical ROADM model having a connectivity matrix of the network element; receive a communication associated with the control block based on the logical ROADM model; and transmit, to the control block, a service loading sequence based on the logical ROADM model.

Abstract: Joint estimation of the framer index and the frequency offset in an optical communication system are described among various other features. A transmitter can transmit data frames using pilot and framer symbols. A receiver can estimate the framer index and frequency offset using the pilot and framer symbols, and identify the beginning of a header portion of a data frame. By identifying the beginning of the header portion of a data frame, the receiver can then process data received from the transmitter in a manner synchronous to the manner in which the data was transmitted by the transmitter.

Abstract: Joint estimation of the framer index and the frequency offset in an optical communication system are described among various other features. A transmitter can transmit data frames using pilot and framer symbols. A receiver can estimate the framer index and frequency offset using the pilot and framer symbols, and identify the beginning of a header portion of a data frame. By identifying the beginning of the header portion of a data frame, the receiver can then process data received from the transmitter in a manner synchronous to the manner in which the data was transmitted by the transmitter.

Abstract: A method includes receiving client data; extracting overhead data from the client data; mapping the client data into one or more frames, where each of the one or more frames has a frame payload section and a frame overhead section, where the client data is mapped into the one or more frames; inserting the overhead data into the frame overhead section of the one or more frames; transporting the one or more frames across a network by generating a plurality of optical subcarriers carrying the one or more frames; extracting the overhead data from the frame overhead section of the one or more frames; recovering the client data from the one or more frames; inserting the extracted overhead data into the recovered client data to create modified client data; and outputting the modified client data.

Abstract: Systems and methods of providing a bare circuit integrated circuit package with a containment ring are described. The bare circuit integrated circuit package may be provided with a substrate connected to a printed circuit board. An integrated circuit may be connected to the substrate. A stiffener ring that surrounds the integrated circuit may be attached to the substrate. A heat sink may be positioned on the stiffener ring and over the integrated circuit such that there is a space between a top of the integrated circuit and a bottom surface of the heat sink. A thermal interface material may be provided to thermally connect the integrated circuit and the heat sink. A containment ring may be positioned between the stiffener ring and the integrated circuit, the containment ring sized and positioned to prevent pumping and/or displacement of the thermal interface material.

Abstract: An optical network and a method of use are herein disclosed. The method comprises: receiving, by a DEMUX module of a local ROADM, a request from an upstream ROADM, the upstream ROADM being upstream from the local ROADM on a fiber optic line, the local ROADM comprising the DEMUX module and first and second MUX modules, the request including first instructions to perform an operation on the local ROADM; sending, by the DEMUX module, a distributed request to the first and second MUX modules, the distributed request including second instructions to perform the operation on the first and second MUX modules; attempting, by the first and second MUX modules, to perform the operation; and sending a consolidated response to the upstream ROADM indicative of one of a success and a failure of performing the operation on the first and second MUX modules.

Abstract: Optical network systems are disclosed, including systems having transmitters with a digital signal processor comprising forward error correction circuitry that provides encoded first electrical signals based on input data; and power adjusting circuitry that receives second electrical signals indicative of the first electrical signals, the power adjusting circuitry supplying third electrical signals, wherein each of the third electrical signals is indicative of an optical power level of a corresponding to one of a plurality of optical subcarriers output from an optical transmitter.

Abstract: [Consistent with the present disclosure an apparatus and related method are provided for controlling the leaf-receiver local oscillator laser and leaf-transmitter laser for cases where separate transmit and receive local oscillator lasers are included in a transceiver. As a result, full capacity in bidirectional transmission can be realized on a single fiber. The leaf local oscillator frequency is controlled using a feedback signal generated based on an output from the leaf-digital signal processor (DSP), and the leaf transmit laser is controlled using a feedback signal based on an output of the remote hub-DSP, which is carried from the hub to the leaf nodes by a general communication channel (GCC) as part of a data signal, or a separate subcarrier also referred to as an auxiliary channel or out-of-band channel. This ensures that the frequencies transmitted subcarriers from the leaf nodes do not collide or overlap with one another in frequency.

Abstract: Consistent with the present disclosure, a compact laser with extended tunability (CLET) is provided that includes multiple segments or sections, at least one of which is curved, bent or non-collinear with other segments, so that the CLET has a compact form factor either as a singular laser or when integrated with other devices. The term CLET, as used herein, refers to any of the laser configurations disclosed herein having mirrors and a bent, angled or curved part, portion or section between such mirrors. If bent, the bent portion is preferably oriented at an angle of at least 30 degrees relative to other portions of the CLET. Alternatively, the curve or bend portion may be distributed over different sections of the CLET over a series of arcs, for example. The waveguide extending between the mirrors is continuous, such that light propagating along the waveguide is not divided or split. The waveguide also constitutes a continuous waveguide path.

Abstract: Consistent with the present disclosure, an output of a seed laser is split by a series of first coupler stages and each split portion is provided to a respective laser in an array of secondary lasers to realized injection locking of the laser array. Undesired light output from the secondary laser array back to the seed laser is monitored and the phase of such light is adjusted so that such light is subject to destructive interference and its power is minimized. Accordingly, light output from the secondary laser array back to the seed laser does not degrade the performance of the seed laser. On the other hand, light intended for output from the secondary laser array is combined through a second series of coupler stages and monitored at each stage. The phase of the output of each laser in the array is controlled to equal or be aligned with one another such that laser array outputs constructively interfere with one another. As a result, the combined output power is maximized.

Abstract: Optical networks and nodes are described herein, including an optical network comprising a head-end node and a tail-end node. A line module of the head-end node receives fault information, generates a fault packet, and sends the fault packet to a first node controller identified by first packet forwarding information included in a packet header of the fault packet. The first node controller retrieves second packet forwarding information using the first packet forwarding information, updates the packet header, and sends the fault packet to the tail-end node identified by the second packet forwarding information. A second node controller of the tail-end node retrieves third packet forwarding information using the second packet forwarding information, updates the packet header, and sends the fault packet to an optical protection switching module (OPSM) of the tail-end node identified by the second packet forwarding information. The OPSM switches an optical switch based on the fault information.

Abstract: An optical network and a method of use are herein disclosed. The optical network comprises a fiber optic line, two or more ROADMs, and an orchestrator comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: receive an operation to execute, the operation being a loading of a first optical service on the fiber optic line by a local ROADM; determine a status of a downstream ROADM as being available; reserve the downstream ROADM for the loading of the first optical service by preventing the downstream ROADM from loading a second optical service on the fiber optic line and disabling one or more control block of the downstream ROADM, thereby preventing the one or more control block from adjusting a configuration of the downstream ROADM; and load the first optical service on the fiber optic line.

Abstract: Circuitry is disclosed herein that dynamically (temperature-invariant and voltage-invariant) adjusts the Ron of switches in a resistive Nyquist-rate digital to analog converter (DAC) to thereby reduce DAC nonlinearity errors and improve INL results of greater than 16b. Consistent with the present disclosure, the DAC includes an R-2R ladder in which each bit corresponds to a switch. A control circuit is provided for generating signals applied to the gate of the switch to cause the on-resistances of the switch to be a particular value, such that the on-resistance of the switch plus the sum of two resistors, one having the resistance R, and the other having a resistance R? is equivalent to the resistance of the 2R-size resistors or twice the resistance of the R-sized resistors in the ladder.