ALl optical signal recovery by Photonic neural network Integrated in a transceiver module

Objective

ALPI aims at the integration of a photonic neural network within an optical transceiver to increase the transmission capacity
of the optical link. Based on a deep learning approach, the new compact device provides real time compensation of fiber
nonlinearities which degrade optical signals. In fact, the tremendous growth of transmission bandwidth both in optical
networks as well as in data centers is baffled by the optical fiber nonlinear Shannon capacity limit. Nowadays, computational
intensive approaches based on power hungry software are commonly used to mitigate fiber nonlinearities. Here, we propose
to integrate in the optical link the neuromorphic photonic circuits which we are currently developing in the ERC-AdG
BACKUP project. Specifically, the proposed error-correction circuit implements a small all-optical complex-valued neural
network which is able to recover distortion on the optical transmitted data caused by the Kerr nonlinearities in multiwavelength
optical fibers. Network training is realized by means of efficient gradient-free methods using a properly designed
data-preamble.
A new neuromorphic transceiver demonstrator realized in active hybrid Si/InP technology will be designed, developed and
tested on a 100 Gbps 80 km long optical link with multiple-levels symbols. The integrated neural network will mitigate the
nonlinearities either by precompensation/autoencoding at the transmitter TX side or by data correction at the receiver RX
side or by concurrently acting on both the TX and RX sides. This achievement will bear to the second ALPI’s goal: moving
from the demonstrator to the industrialization of the improved transceiver. For this purposes, patents will be filed and a business plan will be developed in partnership with semiconductor, telecom and IT companies where a path to the commercialization will be
individuated. The foreseen market is the big volume market of optical interconnection in large data centers or metro
networks.

Field of science

• /social sciences/economics and business/business and management/commerce
• /engineering and technology/electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering/information engineering/telecommunications/telecommunications network/optical network
• /natural sciences/physical sciences/optics/fibre optics
• /natural sciences/computer and information sciences/artificial intelligence/machine learning/deep learning

Programme(s)

• H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)

Topic(s)

• ERC-2020-POC - Call for proposals for ERC Proof of Concept Grant

Call for proposal

ERC-2020-PoC
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

Host institution

Beneficiaries (1)