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We propose methods and an architecture to conduct measurements and optimize newly installed optical fiber line systems semi-automatically using integrated physics-aware technologies in a data center interconnection (DCI) transmission scenario. We demonstrate, for the first time, digital longitudinal monitoring (DLM) and optical line system (OLS) physical parameter calibration working together in real-time to extract physical link parameters for transmission performance optimization. Our methodology has the following advantages over traditional design: a minimized footprint at user sites, accurate estimation of the necessary optical network characteristics via complementary telemetry technologies, and the capability to conduct all operation work remotely. The last feature is crucial, as it enables remote operation to implement network design settings for immediate response to quality of transmission (QoT) degradation and reversion in the case of unforeseen problems. We successfully performed semi-automatic line system provisioning over field fiber networks facilities at Duke University, Durham, NC. The tasks of parameter retrieval, equipment setting optimization, and system setup/provisioning were completed within 1 hour. The field operation was supervised by on-duty personnel who could access the system remotely from different time zones. By comparing Q-factor estimates calculated from the extracted link parameters with measured results from 400G transceivers, we confirmed that our methodology has a reduction in the QoT prediction errors (+-0.3 dB) over existing design (+-10.6 dB).

We evaluate the generation of the cross-channel interference (XCI) for coherent transmission through a variety of dispersion-managed segments in a disaggregated optical network framework, using split-step Fourier method (SSFM) simulations and an implementation of the Gaussian noise (GN) model. We observe that the small inline residual dispersion remaining after each span affects the accumulation of the XCI, causing GN model predictions to no longer be conservative. We find an asymptotic upper bound to this additional accumulation, providing a worst-case prediction, and observe that this depends upon the residual dispersion within the link. This upper bound scales similarly to the self-channel interference (SCI) accumulation, and is well characterized by the parameters of the underlying fiber spans and the transmitted signals., Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures

We propose an approach to estimate the end-to-end GSNR accurately in a short time when a data center interconnect (DCI) network operator receives a service request from users, not by measuring the GSNR at the operational route and wavelength for the End-End optical path but by simply applying a QoT probe channel link by link, at a convenient wavelength/modulation-format for measurement. Assuming connections between coherent transceivers of various frequency ranges, modulators, and modulation formats, we propose a new device software architecture in which the DCI network operator optimizes the transmission mode between user transceivers with high accuracy using only standard parameters such as Bit Error Rate. In this paper, we first experimentally built three different routes of 32 km/72 km/122 km in the C-band to confirm the accuracy of this approach. For the operational end-to-end GSNR measurements, the accuracy estimated from the sum of the measurements for each link was 0.6 dB, and the wavelength-dependent error was about 0.2 dB. Then, using field fibers deployed in the NSF COSMOS testbed (deployed in an urban area), a Linux-based transmission device software architecture, and coherent transceivers with different optical frequency ranges, modulators, and modulation formats, the fast WDM provisioning of an optical path was completed within 6 minutes (with a Q-factor error of about 0.7 dB)., Comment: 10 pages, 11 figures, 3 tables

Relying on a two-measurement characterization phase, a gain profile model for dual-stage EDFAs is presented and validated in full spectral load condition. It precisely reproduces the EDFA dynamics varying the target gain and tilts parameters as shown experimentally on two commercial items from different vendors.

The continuously increasing IP data traffic demand, with geometrical growth rate exceeding 26%, requires a large transmission capacity increment from the fiber optical infrastructure. As the deploy of new fiber cables requires extensive investments, the development of multi-band amplifiers and transceivers, already available as prototypes, is progressively considered towards the entire low-loss single-mode bandwidth beyond the 5 THz C-band. In this perspective, an adequate handling of the variations along the frequency of the fiber physical features becomes crucial for the fiber propagation modeling in multi-band wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) channel comb transmission scenarios. In particular, the inter-channel stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) is the fundamental inter-band effect in this context. The SRS effect on the WDM comb propagated through a single-mode optical fiber is described by a set of ordinary differential equations (ODEs). To date, an exact solution of the SRS ODEs has not been proposed, and in the literature numerical solutions or approximations have been considered in order to take into account this effect. In this work, a perturbative solution of the SRS ODEs is presented enabling an efficient trade-off between the target accuracy and the computational time. Considering a C+L+S transmission scenario, the perturbative expansion up to the 2nd order ensures an excellent accuracy. Whereas, in an U-to-E transmission scenario, the 3rd order is required in order to reach an equivalent accuracy.

Optical communications and networking are fast becoming the solution to support ever-increasing data traffic across all segments of the network, expanding from core/metro networks to 5G/6G front-hauling. Therefore, optical networks need to evolve towards an efficient exploitation of the infrastructure by overcoming the closed and aggregated paradigm, to enable apparatus sharing together with the slicing and separation of the optical data plane from the optical control. In addition to the advantages in terms of efficiency and cost reduction, this evolution will increase the network reliability, also allowing for a fine trade-off between robustness and maximum capacity exploitation. In this work, an optical network architecture is presented based on the physical layer digital twin of the optical transport used within a multi-layer hierarchical control operated by an intent-based network operating system. An experimental proof of concept is performed on a three node network including up to 1000 km optical transmission, open re-configurable optical add & drop multiplexers (ROADMs) and white-box transponders hosting pluggable multi-rate transceivers. The proposed solution is based on GNPy as optical physical layer digital twin and ONOS as intent-based network operating system. The reliability of the optical control decoupled by the data plane functioning is experimentally demonstrated exploiting GNPy as open lightpath computation engine and software optical amplifier models derived from the component characterization. Besides the lightpath deployment exploiting the modulation format evaluation given a generic traffic request, the architecture reliability is tested mimicking the use case of an automatic failure recovery from a fiber cut., Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, 4 tables

Through a physical layer simulation study we highlight that the coherent accumulation of nonlinear interference becomes non-negligible for optical networks operating within high symbol rate transmission scenarios. This initiates a discussion on how to accurately plan and model optical networks, starting from the physical layer., Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, submitted to 46th European Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC) 2020

We propose an analytical method to evaluate the equivalent SPM component of the NLI generated by each fiber span, to enabling a fully disaggregated evaluation of the GSNR degradation, as required in network planning.

With the extension of the spectral exploitation of optical fibers beyond the C-band, accurate modeling and simulation of nonlinear interference (NLI) generation is of the utmost performance. Models and numerical simulation tools rely on the widely used Manakov equation (ME): however, this approach when considering also the effect of polarization mode dispersion (PMD) is formally valid only over a narrow optical bandwidth. In order to analyze the range of validity of the ME and its applicability to future wide-band systems, we present numerical simulations, showing the interplay between NLI generation and PMD over long dispersion-uncompensated optical links, using coherent polarization division multiplexing (PDM) quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) formats. Using a Monte-Carlo analysis of different PMD realizations based on the coupled nonlinear Schr\"{o}dinger equations, we show that PMD has a negligible effect on NLI generation, independently from the total system bandwidth. Based on this, we give strong numerical evidence that the ME can be safely used to estimate NLI generation well beyond its bandwidth of validity that is limited to the PMD coherence bandwidth.

A machine learning method for prediction of Raman gain and noise spectra is presented: it guarantees high-accuracy (RMSE < 0.4 dB) and low computational complexity making it suitable for real-time implementation in future optical networks controllers.

We show that 10G channels generate both amplitude and phase noise on 100G channels. Amplitude noise can be managed as the ASE and NLI noise, while the DSP robustness to the phase noise sets the guard-band., Comment: 3 pages conference paper, submitted to OFC 2019

We develop and present a generalization of the GN-model - the generalized Gaussian noise (GGN) model - to enabling a fair application of GN-model to predict generation of nonlinear interference when loss parameters relevantly vary with frequency and/or distributed amplification applies selectively to portions of the exploited spectrum and/or stimulated-Raman-scattering-induced crosstalk is relevant., Comment: Corrections and reference update