Objective
Main Objective
Transparent photonic networks impose high cross-talk requirements on the components used, whereas the integrated devices which can provide the functionality required in these networks in a compact and cost-effective way usually suffer from relatively high cross-talk figures. The main objectives are therefore:
-Development and experimental testing of an easy-to-implement phase-scrambling technique which will lead to a considerable reduction of cross-talk requirements on advanced components.
-Development and experimental testing of advanced semiconductor-based photonic integrated circuits (PICs): an 8-wavelength cross-connect, a 4-channel multi-wavelength laser and a 4-channel multi-wavelength receiver. These devices cover the key functions in the physical network infrastructure: signal generation, detection and switching.
Technical Approach
A small cross-connect test bed with bit-rate transparency will be developed; the network will support four 2.5 Gbit/s Direct Detection WDM-channels and four 622 Mbit/s channels, the latter being generated with an integrated multi-wavelength laser and detected with an integrated multi-wavelength detector.
A phase scrambling technique will be developed and tested experimentally. The application of phase-scrambling in order to avoid coherent accumulation of cross-talk is considered as a major breakthrough in order to close the gap between actual performance of advanced components and system requirements. With this technique present state-of-the-art (cross-talk values in the order of -20 dB) is sufficient to cascade at least 5 cross-connects without running into cross-talk problems. Research will be focused on finding an optimal scrambling format yielding the required reduction in coherent cross-talk levels with a restricted amount of spectral broadening which will degrade BER-performance through pulse broadening.
Advanced semiconductor-based photonic integrated circuits (PICs) will be developed and tested, including: an 8-wavelength cross-connect, a 4-channel multi-wavelength laser and a 4-channel multi-wavelength receiver. These devices cover the key functions in the physical network infrastructure: signal generation, detection, and switching.
The application of an integrated 8-wavelength cross-connect, as compared to a cross-connect assembled from discrete components, leads to a huge reduction of the number of fibre connections (four instead of more than fifty) and the cross-connect volume, and improves the reliability. Integrated multi-wavelength lasers and detectors are expected to become cost-competitive with non-integrated versions because of their inherent channel spacing accuracy in combination with a small device size.
Summary of Trial
There is no large scale trial in the project, but a test-bed will be set up for evaluation of integrated optical cross-connects, multi-wavelength components and the use of phase scrambling. This includes the use of a loop-back configuration which makes it possible to study aspects of cascadability.
Expected Achievements
The expected achievements of the project include:
-Establishing a test bed for testing advanced photonic cross-connects and multi-wavelength components.
-Establishing the use of phase scrambling to reduce cross-talk impairments in optical cross-connects.
-Development of a cross-connect simulation tool.
-Design, fabrication and testing of an 8-wavelength integrated cross-connect.
-Design, fabrication and testing of multi-wavelength lasers and receivers.
-Development of an 8-wavelength demultiplexer.
-Progress on polarisation independent semiconductor optical amplifiers.
Expected Impact
The project aims at bridging the gap between current system requirements on component cross-talk and present state-of-the-art performance of advanced integrated devices. It addresses research on improvement of advanced Photonic Integrated Circuits and on a novel cross-talk reducing scrambling method, and their testing in an experimental cross-connect test bed, which will support different bit-rates.
Main contributions to the programme objectives:
Main deliverables
Developed and tested advanced semiconductor based photonic integrated circuits.
Contribution to the programme
Information on optical networks and advanced photonic devices, particularly the problem of coherent cross-talk.
Key Issues
-Design and fabrication of complex photonic integrated circuits and multi-wavelength components.
-Cross-talk impairments, and reduction of cross-talk impairments in optical cross-connects and systems with cascaded cross-connects.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering information engineering telecommunications telecommunications networks optical networks
- natural sciences physical sciences electromagnetism and electronics semiconductivity
- natural sciences computer and information sciences software software applications simulation software
- natural sciences physical sciences optics laser physics
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Coordinator
NN7 3EZ Gayton
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.