Abstract: Constant modulus multi-dimensional modulation system and methods are disclosed herein, employing multi-intensity quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) to generate a dual-polarization symbol. j bits may be mapped to one of a plurality of dual-polarization symbols having a same constant power modulus on a two-level constellation including first and second intensity rings in a four-dimensional (4D) space including in-phase (I), quadrature (Q), X polarization (Xpol) and Y polarization (Ypol). A first bit of the j bits may indicate that the symbol is on the first intensity ring for the Xpol and the second intensity ring for the Ypol, a next k bits may indicate a location of the symbol on the first intensity ring in the Xpol, and a remaining j?k?1 bits may indicate a location of the symbol on the second intensity ring in the Ypol. Maximum correlation decoding may be used to decode the first symbol at the receiver.

Abstract: An apparatus, comprising a linecard including a circuit board having a front side connectable to a pluggable optical module and a back side opposite the front side; a heat relay apparatus comprising a heat pipe on the circuit board; a pluggable optical module generating a first amount of heat and being in thermal contact with the heat pipe; and a cooling module including a heat sink in thermal contact with the heat pipe, the cooling module generating a second amount of heat in a range from the first amount of heat to no heat; and wherein heat from the pluggable optical module is transferable through the heat pipe to the cooling module for dispersal from the heat sink.

Abstract: Systems and methods for time slot allocation of time slots for bundled links in a shared mesh GMPLS for protect paths with different of COS may include time slot allocation divided into multiple phases with each phase having some qualification criterion to go to next phase or exit if the criterion is not met. For example, allocation of time slots for a circuit may include three phases—component selection phase, a connection admission phase, and an optimization phase.

Abstract: A method may include transmitting, by an optical device, a first set of channels using a first modulation format. The first set of channels may be attenuated during transmission by a filter associated with a wavelength selective switch. The method may further include transmitting, by the optical device, a second set of channels using a second modulation format. The second set of channels may be attenuated during transmission by the filter associated with the wavelength selective switch. The first set of channels and the second set of channels may be included in a super-channel. The first modulation format may be selected based on a first signal quality factor associated with attenuation by the filter associated with the wavelength selective switch. The second modulation format may be selected based on a second signal quality factor associated with attenuation by the filter associated with the wavelength selective switch.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for storing, in a non-transitory memory device, multi-layer network information comprising at least one of link availability, bandwidth availability, priority levels for paths in a multi-layer network, path status in the multi-layer network, and status for network elements in the multi-layer network; receiving, via at least one input component, a message from a network element in the network comprising information indicative of a failure of a working path in the network; determining, automatically, based at least in part on the multi-layer network information, an alternate path for transmission of the data traffic through the network; and transmitting, via at least one output component, at least one signal comprising configuration instructions to at least one optical line module, the configuration instructions directing the optical line module to switch and select the data traffic using the alternate path.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are described herein for metastability error detection and correction in analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). For example, an ADC may comprise a comparator, a register circuit, a first circuit, and a second circuit. The comparator may generate a comparator output signal in response to a sampling clock signal. The register circuit, operatively coupled to the comparator, may process the comparator output signal. The first circuit, operatively coupled to the comparator and the register circuit may generate a plurality of first output bits that include a bit indicating a metastability error on a condition that the metastability error occurred during the bit conversion. The second circuit, operatively coupled to the first circuit, may generate a plurality of second output bits indicating a location of the metastability error. The plurality of second output bits may be sampled using first and second groups in response to the sampling clock signal.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including a photonic integrated circuit package, including a photonic integrated circuit chip, including multiple electrodes configured to receive the electrical signal, where at least one characteristics of a segment of the traveling wave active optical element is changed based on the electrical signal received by a corresponding electrode of the multiple electrodes; a ground electrode; and multiple bond contacts; and an interposer bonded to at least a portion of the photonic integrated circuit chip, the interposer including a conductive trace formed on a surface of the interposer, the conductive trace electrically coupled to a source of the electrical signal; a ground trace; and multiple conductive vias electrically coupled to the conductive trace, where each conductive via of the multiple conductive vias is bonded with a respective bond contact of the multiple bond contacts of the photonic integrated circuit chip.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for pro-active protection of packet-optical transport in a software defined network (SDN) controller are disclosed herein. The SDN controller may define a proactive protection threshold criterion based on based on a plurality of optical system performance metrics and may collect at least one measurement for each of the metrics. The SDN controller may then determine whether the proactive protection threshold criterion is met based on at least one of the collected measurements. Further, the SDN controller may select a protection mechanism and define a protection threshold criterion on a condition that the proactive protection threshold criterion is met. Also, the SDN controller may initiate proactive protection events based on the selected protection mechanism. The SDN controller may determine whether the protection threshold criterion is met. The SDN controller may implement one or more protection events on a condition that the protection threshold criterion is met.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including a photonic integrated circuit package, including a photonic integrated circuit chip, including a lumped active optical element; an electrode configured to receive an electrical signal, where at least one characteristics of the lumped active optical element is changed based on the electrical signal received by the electrode; a ground electrode; and a bond contact electrically coupled to the electrode; and an interposer bonded to at least a portion of the photonic integrated circuit chip, the interposer including a conductive trace formed on a surface of the interposer, the conductive trace electrically coupled to a source of the electrical signal; a ground trace; and a conductive via bonded with the bond contact of the photonic integrated circuit chip, the conductive via electrically coupled to the conductive trace to provide the electrical signal to the electrode of the photonic integrated circuit chip.

Abstract: A semiconductor monolithic transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TxPIC) comprises two different situations, either at least one signal channel in the PIC having a modulated source with the channel also extended to include at least one additional element or a plurality of modulated sources comprising N signal channels in the PIC of different transmission wavelengths, where N is equal to or greater than two (2), which may also approximate emission wavelengths along a standardized wavelength grid. In these two different situations, a common active region for such modulated sources and additional channel elements is identified as an extended identical active layer (EIAL), as it extends from a single modulated source to such additional channel elements in the same channel and/or extends to additional modulated sources in separate channels where the number of such channels is N equal to two or greater.

Abstract: An optical system includes a transmitter module and/or a receiver module. The transmitter module is configured to receive input data, map the input data to a set of subcarriers associated with an optical communication channel, independently apply spectral shaping to each of the subcarriers, generate input values based on the spectral shaping of each of the subcarriers, generate voltage signals based on the input values, modulate light based on the voltage signals to generate an output optical signal that includes the subcarriers, and output the output optical signal. The receiver module is configured to receive the output optical signal, convert the output optical signal to a set of voltage signals, generate digital samples based on the set of voltage signals, independently process the digital samples for each of the subcarriers, map the processed digital samples to produce output data, and output the output data.

Abstract: In the disclosed method, a current state of a network device indicative of no license key being associated with a network device is stored in a license database. Information indicative of a master state of the network device is received, via an input port, including at least one license key associated with the network device. The current state of the network device is updated to include the at least one license key associated with the network device, and the updated current state is stored in the license database.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for non-blocking Mach-Zehnder Modulator (MZM) arm imbalance monitoring and control through tones are disclosed herein. An optical transmitter may include an MZM to supply a first portion of light to an in-phase arm and a second portion to a quadrature arm of the MZM. The optical transmitter may apply modulator arm adjustments and dither signals to the two portions. Then, the MZM may combine the two portions into an optical output signal. The optical transmitter may tap the optical output signal to provide a first portion of the optical output signal and transmit a second portion. Also, the optical transmitter may obtain first error signals, based on the first dither signal, and second error signals, based on the second dither signal, of the first portion of the output signal. The optical transmitter may change the modulator arm adjustments based on the error signals.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for managing latency in a network with a plurality of switches, each switch having client side ports and line side ports. A required bandwidth for each link between connected pairs of the plurality of switches is received. A client-side capacity value for each switch is received. An initial undersubscription factor is calculated based on the required bandwidths and the client-side capacity values. A desired undersubscription factor is calculated for each switch based on the initial undersubscription factor and the client side capacity values. A desired bandwidth is calculated for each link between connected pairs of the plurality of switches based on the required bandwidths and the desired undersubscription factors.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed herein for reconciling planned data for a network (such as a fiber optic network) with data describing the deployed network. Network probing and planning components obtain a snapshot of the deployed network and organize the snapshot into three “layers”: the “link layer,” which represents the physical links that underlie the network, the “digital layer,” which includes optical channel groups that divide the total capacity of the physical links, and the “service layer,” which includes the services delivered over the network. The techniques involve comparing the planned data to the deployed data in the order of link layer, digital layer, and service layer. Differences considered to be “minor” are reconciled automatically. Differences that are “major” are reconciled after receiving instructions from a planner or administrator regarding whether to update the planned data based on what was originally in the planned data or what is in the deployed network.

Abstract: A laser source or a plurality of laser sources in a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) are provided with an electrical contact that is either segmented or is connected to a series of vernier resistor segments for supply of current to operate the laser source. In either case, at least one segment of the laser contact or at least one vernier resistor segment can be trimmed in order to vary the amount of current supplied to the laser source resulting in a change to its current density and, thus, a change in its operational wavelength while maintaining the current supplied to the laser source constant.

Abstract: A node in an optical network may include a wavelength selective switch (WSS) and a processor. The wavelength selective switch may have a plurality of input ports and a plurality of output ports for routing and/or power-controlling of optical slices. The wavelength selective switch may have a plurality of control passbands, each control passband including a one or more optical slices. The processor may determine a passband group (PBG) having a plurality of PBG passbands, each of the plurality of PBG passbands corresponding to a particular control passband. The PBG may be used to translate control information, notifications, and/or instructions.

Abstract: A digital signal processor (DSP) may include a receiver configured to receive an input signal. The DSP may include a processor component to perform carrier recovery on a set of digital signals representing a set of symbols associated with the input signal. The DSP may include an output component to provide information included in the set of digital signals representing the set of symbols. The DSP may be configured to perform, for the input signal, phase estimation with a latency of less than approximately 880 nanoseconds and having a power consumption of less than approximately 400 milliwatts at an update rate greater than approximately 4 Gigahertz. The latency being a propagation delay of the input signal.

Abstract: Systems and methods for a multi-layer network to achieve network resource isolation among clients using the same server network, such as a VPN in a multi-layered network and interaction within the node, may include interaction between a server layer (e.g. L0 Photonic network) and the client layer (e.g. L1 network) that help the client layer (L1) gather information about the server-layer (L0) connection affinities. For example, the use of server layer (L0) connection affinities to construct Virtual Network Topologies (VNT) and/or network abstractions for customer traffic isolations in client layer (L1), the use of VNT to offer physical and/or logical network resource isolation for L1 customers, and provide L1 VPN services in a multi-layer environment.

Abstract: A centralized network administrator may automatically provision an Ethernet circuit between network elements by storing and managing circuit data (managed objects) in one of the network elements (master node) and synchronizing the circuit data among the network nodes in the Ethernet circuit path. In addition, multiple network administrators may provision multiple Ethernet circuits using the overlapping network elements by managing access to the circuit data in the Master node.