Optical fibre has become the dominant theme of transmission in long haul, high data rate communication systems due to its tremendous bandwidth and low loss. Radio over Fibre (RoF) technology facilitates the seamless integration between wireless and optical communication systems and found to be the most promising solution to meet the exponential bandwidth demands expected for the upcoming years. However, the main bit-rate/distance limitation in RoF systems is the chromatic dispersion. In this thesis, the two generations of RoF technologies, namely Analogue RoF (ARoF) and Digital RoF (DRoF) are investigated. The overall aim of this research is to optimise the optical bandwidth utilisation of these two approaches for a typical transmission of the fronthaul link proposed in the next generation Centralised Radio Access Network (C-RAN). Consequently, a number of physical layer design scenarios for the optimised transmission of the Radio Frequency (RF) signals over a Standards Single Mode Fibre (SSMF) are demonstrated. Firstly, for an ARoF transmission, where the analogue RF signals are transported over SSMF using an optical carrier, a bidirectional link transmitting four Downlink/Uplink channels in a chromatic dispersion limited scenario is designed. Simulation results have shown a clear constellation diagram of a 2.5 Gb/s RF signal transmission over 120 km fibre length. Secondly, a DRoF system with reduced optical bandwidth occupancy is proposed. This system employs an optical Duobinary transmission to the digitised RF signal at the transmitter side to reduce its spectrum and to address the chromatic dispersion effect, simultaneously. Simulation results demonstrate the capability of the proposed system to maintain high-quality transmission of the digitised signals over 70 km of fibre distance without dispersion compensation requirements. Finally, an advanced DRoF transmission link based on integrating digital Optical Single Sideband (OSSB) transmission with Duobinary encoding scheme is designed. Simulation results have clearly verified system's robustness against transmission impairments and have better performances in terms of the obtained BER and EVM with respect to the 3GPP standardised values. Moreover, the results show that both transmission distance and power budget are furtherly improved in comparison with two other digital transmission scenarios.

This thesis studies and mathematically models nonlinear interactions among channels of modern high bit rate (amplitude/) phase modulated optical systems. First, phase modulated analogue systems are studied and a differential receiving method is suggested with experimental validation. The main focus of the rest of the thesis is on digital advanced modulation format systems. Cross-talk due to fiber Kerr nonlinearity in two-format hybrid systems as well as 16-QAM systems is mathematically modelled and verified by simulation for different system parameters. A comparative study of differential receivers and coherent receivers is also given for hybrid systems. The model is based on mathematically proven assumptions and provides an intuitive analytical understanding of nonlinear cross-talk in such systems. / Graduate

Esta dissertação de mestrado investiga os formatos de modulação óptica alternativos ao tradicional formato binário de intensidade (NRZ - Non-return-to-zero), ditos avançados, como tecnologia chave para atender às exigências do mercado atual de telecomunicações por transporte de grande volume de dados e alta largura de banda, associados com a redução do custo da informação transmitida por bit. Os formatos avançados de modulação óptica fazem parte das tecnologias que estão sendo investigadas intensamente com o objetivo de superar os desafios impostos pela nova geração de sistemas ópticos com taxas a partir de 40 Gb/s. Este trabalho focaliza o estudo dessa tecnologia, apresentando uma visão geral dos formatos mais discutidos atualmente, suas características e tecnologias de implementação. Foram realizadas simulações utilizando o software comercial Optisystem versão 7.0 da empresa canadense Optiwave Systems Inc., para analisar o desempenho de alguns formatos de modulação de intensidade e de fase com respeito à sensibilidade do receptor, resistência ao cascateamento de filtragem óptica e a efeitos dispersivos e não-lineares. Procurou-se avaliar os formatos em enlaces reais, com características necessárias à sua possível utilização. Também é feita uma breve consideração dos custos associados aos formatos de modulação analisados neste trabalho. Dentre os formatos analisados, os RZ (Return-to zero) apresentaram maior sensibilidade do receptor e melhor tolerância aos efeitos não-lineares que os seus equivalentes NRZ, porém baixa tolerância aos efeitos dispersivos e ao cascateamento de filtragem óptica. O formato duobinário mostrou fraco desempenho de sensibilidade, mas provou ser o mais tolerante à dispersão cromática e à concatenação de filtragem óptica. Os formatos de modulação de fase mostraram ser bem resistentes aos efeitos não-lineares e aos efeitos dispersivos. / This MSc thesis investigates optical modulation formats as an alternative to the use of the traditional intensity binary format NRZ (Non-return-to-zero). Those formats, classified as advanced, represent one of the key technologies aimed to enable the high data volume and broadband, demanded by the present telecommunication market, with cost reduction of transmitted information per bit. Those technologies have been intensevely studied with purpose of overcoming the challenges imposed by the new generation of optical systems, with bit rates from 40 Gb/s. This work focuses on the study of modulation formats most discussed currently, presenting an overview of their main characteristics and implementation techniques. The performance of some intensity and phase formats, in terms of receiver sensitivity, optical filtering cascading, dispersion and nonlinear effects robustness, have been theoretically analyzed from simulations carried out with the commercial software Optisystem v. 7.0, of the Canadian company Optiwave Systems Inc. The analysis has been applied to real optical links, with characteristics that, potentially, demand their use. A cost analysis, based on estimated values associated to devices required for implementing the formats investigated in this work, is also presented. Among the formats studied, those based on RZ (Return-to zero) presented the highest receiver sensitivity and best tolerance to nonlinear effects, in comparison to their equivalent formats, based on NRZ. However, they are less tolerant to dispersive effects and optical filtering cascading. The duobinary format (DB) has shown a weak performance in terms of sensitivity, though has been proved to be the most tolerant to chromatic dispersion and filtering cascading effects. Among all formats, the phase modulation ones presented the highest resistance against nonlinear and dispersive effects.

Esta dissertação de mestrado investiga os formatos de modulação óptica alternativos ao tradicional formato binário de intensidade (NRZ - Non-return-to-zero), ditos avançados, como tecnologia chave para atender às exigências do mercado atual de telecomunicações por transporte de grande volume de dados e alta largura de banda, associados com a redução do custo da informação transmitida por bit. Os formatos avançados de modulação óptica fazem parte das tecnologias que estão sendo investigadas intensamente com o objetivo de superar os desafios impostos pela nova geração de sistemas ópticos com taxas a partir de 40 Gb/s. Este trabalho focaliza o estudo dessa tecnologia, apresentando uma visão geral dos formatos mais discutidos atualmente, suas características e tecnologias de implementação. Foram realizadas simulações utilizando o software comercial Optisystem versão 7.0 da empresa canadense Optiwave Systems Inc., para analisar o desempenho de alguns formatos de modulação de intensidade e de fase com respeito à sensibilidade do receptor, resistência ao cascateamento de filtragem óptica e a efeitos dispersivos e não-lineares. Procurou-se avaliar os formatos em enlaces reais, com características necessárias à sua possível utilização. Também é feita uma breve consideração dos custos associados aos formatos de modulação analisados neste trabalho. Dentre os formatos analisados, os RZ (Return-to zero) apresentaram maior sensibilidade do receptor e melhor tolerância aos efeitos não-lineares que os seus equivalentes NRZ, porém baixa tolerância aos efeitos dispersivos e ao cascateamento de filtragem óptica. O formato duobinário mostrou fraco desempenho de sensibilidade, mas provou ser o mais tolerante à dispersão cromática e à concatenação de filtragem óptica. Os formatos de modulação de fase mostraram ser bem resistentes aos efeitos não-lineares e aos efeitos dispersivos. / This MSc thesis investigates optical modulation formats as an alternative to the use of the traditional intensity binary format NRZ (Non-return-to-zero). Those formats, classified as advanced, represent one of the key technologies aimed to enable the high data volume and broadband, demanded by the present telecommunication market, with cost reduction of transmitted information per bit. Those technologies have been intensevely studied with purpose of overcoming the challenges imposed by the new generation of optical systems, with bit rates from 40 Gb/s. This work focuses on the study of modulation formats most discussed currently, presenting an overview of their main characteristics and implementation techniques. The performance of some intensity and phase formats, in terms of receiver sensitivity, optical filtering cascading, dispersion and nonlinear effects robustness, have been theoretically analyzed from simulations carried out with the commercial software Optisystem v. 7.0, of the Canadian company Optiwave Systems Inc. The analysis has been applied to real optical links, with characteristics that, potentially, demand their use. A cost analysis, based on estimated values associated to devices required for implementing the formats investigated in this work, is also presented. Among the formats studied, those based on RZ (Return-to zero) presented the highest receiver sensitivity and best tolerance to nonlinear effects, in comparison to their equivalent formats, based on NRZ. However, they are less tolerant to dispersive effects and optical filtering cascading. The duobinary format (DB) has shown a weak performance in terms of sensitivity, though has been proved to be the most tolerant to chromatic dispersion and filtering cascading effects. Among all formats, the phase modulation ones presented the highest resistance against nonlinear and dispersive effects.

Esta dissertação apresenta uma análise realista de redes OCDMA (acesso múltiplo por divisão de código) baseadas em dois formatos de modulação distintos, qual sejam, OOK (chaveamento on-off) e PPM (modulação por posição de pulso). O desempenho desses formatos de modulação sob dois esquemas de codificação bidimensionais (2-D), isto é, pulsos únicos por linha (SPR) e múltiplos pulsos por linha (MPR) também são avaliados. Em ambos os casos, os efeitos simultâneos de muitos mecanismos dispersivos e ruídos (incluindo a interferência de acesso múltiplo, MAI) que prejudicam o desempenho geral do sistema foram também considerados. Outros mecanismos de degradação foram também incluídos, tais como o ruído de intensidade relativa (RIN) na etapa de transmissão, efeitos dispersivos da fibra óptica, como as dispersões de velocidade de grupo (GVD) e dos modos de polarização de primeira ordem (PMD), assim como os ruídos de batimento, APD, e térmicos na recepção. O efeito da GVD e PMD, bem como a influência dos ruídos, sobre o desempenho dos códigos SPR e MPR também são investigados. Outro efeito estudado nesta dissertação é a influência do fotodetetor APD sobre o ruído de batimento da rede OCDMA não-coerente. Para mitigar os ruídos do sistema e a BER, o algoritmo FEC RS (255,239) foi adotado em ambas as redes analisadas. Novas expressões para a taxa de erro de bit (BER) incluindo todos os ruídos e mecanismos de dispersão são apresentadas para os códigos SPR e MPR. Os resultados indicam que os esquemas de modulação OOK e PPM sem mecanismos adicionais de mitigação da MAI e de outros efeitos de ruídos não são suficientes para acomodar 32 usuários simultâneos em meio livre de erros (BER < \'10 POT.-12\'). Isto ocorre devido à alta BER na entrada do decodificador FEC, que afeta severamente a correção de erros na deteção. / This dissertation presents a comprehensive analysis of an OCDMA (optical code division multiple access) network based on two distinct modulation formats, namely, OOK (on-off keying) and PPM (pulse position modulation). We also investigate how each of these modulation formats performs under two distinct two dimensional (2-D) coding schemes, i.e., single-pulse per row (SPR) and multiple-pulse per row (MPR). For both cases, we have accounted for the simultaneous effect of many different dispersion and noise mechanisms (including multiple access interference, MAI) that impair the overall system performance. We have included the laser relative intensity noise (RIN) at the transmitter side, the fiber dispersive effects, such as group velocity dispersion (GVD) and first order polarization mode dispersion (PMD), as well as beat, APD, and thermal noises at the receiver side. The effect of GVD and PMD, as well as the influence of noises, on the performance of SPR and MPR codes is also investigated. Another effect studied in this dissertation is the influence of the avalanche photodetector (APD) photodetector on the beat noise of an incoherent OCDMA network. To mitigate systems noises and bit error rate (BER), we have adopted a FEC RS (255,239) algorithm in both networks investigated here. New expressions for the BER with all noises and dispersion mechanisms were also derived for the SPR and MPR code schemes. Results indicated that OOK and PPM modulation schemes without additional mechanisms to mitigate MAI and other noise effects are not sufficient to accommodate 32 simultaneous users in an error-free environment (BER < \'10 POT.-12\'). This occurs due to the already high BER at the FEC decoder input, which severely affects forward error corrections at the receiver side.

La demande en capacité liée à la transmission de tout type d’information (voix, vidéos, données, etc.) ne cesse de croître. Afin de répondre à cette demande croissante, de nouvelles générations de systèmes de communication multiplexés en longueur d’onde transmettant des débits élevés d’information par canal (100 Gbit/s ou plus) doivent être conçues. En plus des fibres ayant de très faibles pertes, des amplificateurs à fibre dopée à l’Erbium et du multiplexage en longueur d’onde, des technologies sont mises en place, comme notamment le multiplexage en polarisation, la détection cohérente, les formats de modulation multi-niveaux et plus récemment le multiplexage spatial. Des interrogations résident sur l’impact du multiplexage en polarisation ainsi qu’un développement vers des formats de modulation plus évolués incluant modulation de phase et multiplexage en polarisation. Dans cette thèse, afin de contribuer à l’augmentation du produit capacité x distance dans les systèmes de transmission Nx100 Gbit/s par fibre optique également multiplexés en polarisation et utilisant la détection cohérente, nous avons étudié d’une part, la mise en forme spectrale des signaux à l’émission pour augmenter la densité spectrale d’information (ISD: Information Spectral density). Dans cette optique, nous avons étudié l’impact du filtrage étroit gaussien du second ordre et de la mise en forme spectrale en racine de cosinus surélevé (RRC: Root Raised Cosine) sur les signaux émis dans le cas de modulations en Polarization Division Multiplexed-Quaternary Phase Shift Keying (PDM-QPSK) et Polarization-Switched-Quaternary Phase Shift Keying (PS-QPSK). Ceci a été réalisé en simulation numérique en considérant un espacement spectral entre les différents canaux variable. Nous avons montré qu’en tenant compte à la fois du facteur de qualité maximal et de la densité spectrale d’information, l’application de la mise en forme RRC sur des signaux modulés en PS-QPSK, fournit de meilleures performances de transmission dans une configuration où toute la dispersion est compensée en fin de propagation, pour toutes les valeurs d’espacement spectral étudiées. D’autre part, nous nous sommes intéressés aux effets non-linéaires qui limitent la portée de ces systèmes en dégradant pendant la propagation, les symboles émis, par les interactions entre des symboles d’un même canal, entre canaux ou modes de polarisation. La compréhension et la réduction de l’impact des effets non-linéaires est indispensable lorsqu’on veut utiliser certaines technologies pour augmenter la densité spectrale d’information. L’utilisation du multiplexage en polarisation par exemple, se heurte aux dégradations causées par les effets non-linéaires car de nouvelles interactions entre symboles sont présentes pendant la propagation. Par conséquent le développement des futurs systèmes ayant des débits plus élevés de 400 Gbit/s et 1 Tbit/s par canal passe par une diminution de l’impact des effets non-linéaires. Nous avons établi dans ce travail de thèse, des règles de conception permettant de réduire l’impact des effets non-linéaires entre polarisation dans les systèmes de transmission optiques considérés / The ever-increasing demand of capacity in very high bit rate coherent optical transmission systems has paved the way towards the investigation of several techniques such as the use of ultra-low loss fibers, Erbium doped fiber amplifiers, polarization and wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), coherent detection, multi-level modulation formats, spatial division multiplexing, etc. However, there are questions concerning polarization division multiplexing and a development towards some advanced modulation formats including phase modulation and polarization division multiplexing. In this thesis, in order to increase the capacity-by-distance product of future optical coherent systems using wavelength and polarization division multiplexing, we first study spectral shaping of the transmitted signals to increase the information spectral density. For this purpose, we have numerically investigated the multi-channel transmission performance of Polarization Switched Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (PSQPSK) and we have compared it to the performance of Polarization-Division-Multiplexed QPSK (PDM-QPSK), using Root Raised Cosine (RRC) spectral shaping, in the context of a flexible channel grid. In addition we have presented the advantage of PS-QPSK against PDM-QPSK as a function of the system parameters, while we have also discussed the benefit of a RRC spectral shaping against a tight filtering at the transmitter side with a 2nd order super-Gaussian-shaped filter. Furthermore, we have focused on nonlinear effects that limit the transmission distance by degrading the transmitted symbols during propagation. Analyzing and reducing the impact of nonlinear effects is essential when using technologies that increase the information spectral density such as polarization division multiplexing which causes new nonlinear effects due to additional interactions between symbols during the propagation through the fiber. Therefore a reduction of the impact of nonlinear effects is necessary for the development of future systems with higher bit rates of 400 Gbit/s and 1 Tbit/s per channel. We have established in this thesis, design rules to reduce the impact of nonlinear effects in the optical WDM transmission systems at 100 Gbit/s per channel that use polarization multiplexing

Esta dissertação apresenta uma análise realista de redes OCDMA (acesso múltiplo por divisão de código) baseadas em dois formatos de modulação distintos, qual sejam, OOK (chaveamento on-off) e PPM (modulação por posição de pulso). O desempenho desses formatos de modulação sob dois esquemas de codificação bidimensionais (2-D), isto é, pulsos únicos por linha (SPR) e múltiplos pulsos por linha (MPR) também são avaliados. Em ambos os casos, os efeitos simultâneos de muitos mecanismos dispersivos e ruídos (incluindo a interferência de acesso múltiplo, MAI) que prejudicam o desempenho geral do sistema foram também considerados. Outros mecanismos de degradação foram também incluídos, tais como o ruído de intensidade relativa (RIN) na etapa de transmissão, efeitos dispersivos da fibra óptica, como as dispersões de velocidade de grupo (GVD) e dos modos de polarização de primeira ordem (PMD), assim como os ruídos de batimento, APD, e térmicos na recepção. O efeito da GVD e PMD, bem como a influência dos ruídos, sobre o desempenho dos códigos SPR e MPR também são investigados. Outro efeito estudado nesta dissertação é a influência do fotodetetor APD sobre o ruído de batimento da rede OCDMA não-coerente. Para mitigar os ruídos do sistema e a BER, o algoritmo FEC RS (255,239) foi adotado em ambas as redes analisadas. Novas expressões para a taxa de erro de bit (BER) incluindo todos os ruídos e mecanismos de dispersão são apresentadas para os códigos SPR e MPR. Os resultados indicam que os esquemas de modulação OOK e PPM sem mecanismos adicionais de mitigação da MAI e de outros efeitos de ruídos não são suficientes para acomodar 32 usuários simultâneos em meio livre de erros (BER < \'10 POT.-12\'). Isto ocorre devido à alta BER na entrada do decodificador FEC, que afeta severamente a correção de erros na deteção. / This dissertation presents a comprehensive analysis of an OCDMA (optical code division multiple access) network based on two distinct modulation formats, namely, OOK (on-off keying) and PPM (pulse position modulation). We also investigate how each of these modulation formats performs under two distinct two dimensional (2-D) coding schemes, i.e., single-pulse per row (SPR) and multiple-pulse per row (MPR). For both cases, we have accounted for the simultaneous effect of many different dispersion and noise mechanisms (including multiple access interference, MAI) that impair the overall system performance. We have included the laser relative intensity noise (RIN) at the transmitter side, the fiber dispersive effects, such as group velocity dispersion (GVD) and first order polarization mode dispersion (PMD), as well as beat, APD, and thermal noises at the receiver side. The effect of GVD and PMD, as well as the influence of noises, on the performance of SPR and MPR codes is also investigated. Another effect studied in this dissertation is the influence of the avalanche photodetector (APD) photodetector on the beat noise of an incoherent OCDMA network. To mitigate systems noises and bit error rate (BER), we have adopted a FEC RS (255,239) algorithm in both networks investigated here. New expressions for the BER with all noises and dispersion mechanisms were also derived for the SPR and MPR code schemes. Results indicated that OOK and PPM modulation schemes without additional mechanisms to mitigate MAI and other noise effects are not sufficient to accommodate 32 simultaneous users in an error-free environment (BER < \'10 POT.-12\'). This occurs due to the already high BER at the FEC decoder input, which severely affects forward error corrections at the receiver side.

La demande en bande passante des systèmes de communication optique ne cesse de croitre. Des débits de données de l’ordre de plusieurs centaines de TBit/s sont attendus dans un futur proche. La photonique silicium est une technologie majeure pour faire face à ces besoins croissants. Sa compatibilité avec les technologies CMOS permet naturellement une co-intégration photonique/électronique sur les mêmes circuits. A court terme, l’augmentation des débits de données dans les générations futures de système de communication optique passe par l’utilisation de formats de modulation avancés, et l’augmentation du nombre de bits par symbole transmis. A plus long terme, de nouvelles techniques de multiplexage sont nécessaires. Le multiplexage de modes est actuellement une solution attractive à l’étude dans ce but.Dans ce travail de thèse, différents moyens pour implémenter ces nouveaux systèmes de communication optiques sont étudiés au niveau de l’émetteur. Ces travaux incluent dans une première partie la modélisation, conception et caractérisation des modulateurs silicium. Dans une seconde partie, de nouveaux composants pour manipuler les modes sur circuits intégrés photoniques sont proposés, conçus et caractérisés, avec pour application le multiplexage de modes.Une nouvelle méthode a été proposée pour la modélisation des modulateurs optiques silicium. Cette méthode permet de réduire le temps de simulation de 2 ordres de grandeur, en maintenant un bon niveau de précision. En utilisant ce modèle, des modulateurs basés sur des diodes PN latérales et interdigitées ont été conçus pour fonctionner en bande O des communications optiques. Les résultats expérimentaux ont permis la mise en évidence de diagrammes de l’œil avec des taux d’extinction de 10 dB pour des modulations de type OOK (ON-OFF Keying) à 10Gbit/s. De plus des modulations de type BPSK (Binary Phase Shift Keying) ont également été démontrées à 10Gbit/s.De nouveaux convertisseurs de modes et multiplexeurs ont été proposés, conçus, fabriqués et caractérisés, pour être utilisés dans des systèmes de multiplexage modal. Les résultats expérimentaux ont permis de mettre en évidence des fonctionnements large bande passante avec de grands taux d’extinction. / Bandwidth demand in optical communication systems is continually growing. Data rate values in the order of several hundreds of TBps are expected in the near future. In order to cope with those expectations silicon based technologies are believed to be the best suited. Its naturally compatibility with CMOS easily enables the electronics and photonics co-integration. In the short-term the way increase data rates in next generation optical communication systems goes through using advanced modulation format and increase symbol rates. In the long-term view, new multiplexing techniques will be required. In this sense, mode division multiplexing is nowadays an attractive approach under consideration.In this Thesis work, the way to implement these new optical communication schemes is studied from the transmitter point of view. It includes, on a first part the modeling, design and characterization of silicon modulators. And in a second part, it includes the proposition, design and characterization of novel mode handling devices for mode division multiplexing.A new way of modeling silicon modulators has been developed. This new model permits to reduce the computation time of modulator analysis up to two orders of magnitude, while maintaining a good level of accuracy. Using the model, modulators based on lateral PN junctions and interdigitated PN junctions were designed to work in the O-Band of optical communications. Characterization work has been performed on these modulators with good results. Wide-open OOK (On Off Keying) eye diagrams with 10 dB extinction ratio were obtained at 10GBps. Furthermore, BPSK (Binary Phase Shift Keying) modulation was also demonstrated at 10GBps.New kind of mode converters and multiplexers, intended to work as mode division multiplexing subsystems have been proposed, designed, fabricated and characterized. Measured results show broad bandwidth operation with high extinction ratio.

La détection cohérente combinée avec le traitement du signal s’est imposée comme le standard pour les systèmes de communications optiques longue distance à 100 Gb/s (mono-porteuse) et au-delà. Avec l'avènement des convertisseurs numérique-analogique à haute vitesse et haute résolution, la génération de formats de modulation d'ordre supérieure avec filtrage numérique est devenue possible, favorisant l’émergence de transmissions à forte densité spectrale. En outre, la généralisation des liaisons non gérées en dispersion permet une modélisation analytique du canal optique et favorise l'utilisation d’outils puissants de la théorie de l'information et du traitement du signal. En se fondant sur ces outils, de nouveaux formats de modulation à entrelacement temporel dits hybrides et formats multidimensionnels sont étudiés et mise en oeuvre expérimentalement. Leur impact sur les algorithmes de traitement du signal et sur le débit d'information atteignable est analysé en détail. La conception de transpondeurs de prochaine génération à 400 Gb/ s et 1 Tb/s reposant sur des signaux à débit-symbole élevé est également étudiée. Ces systèmes sont intéressants pour réduire le coût par bit en augmentant la capacité émise par transpondeur. L'élaboration d'algorithmes de traitement du signal avancés associés à l’utilisation de composants optoélectroniques à l'état de l'art ont permis la démonstration d’expériences records: d’une part la première transmission mono-porteuse à 400 Gb/s sur une distance transatlantique (pour une efficacité spectrale de 6 b/s/Hz) d’autre part la première transmission à 1 Tb/s basée sur la synthèse en parallèle de plusieurs tranches spectrales (8 b/s/Hz) / Coherent detection in combination with digital signal processing is now the de facto standard for long-haul high capacity optical communications systems operating at 100 Gb/s per channel and beyond. With the advent of high-speed high-resolution digital-to-analog converters, generation of high order modulation formats with digital pulse shaping has become possible allowing the increase of system spectral efficiency. Furthermore, the widespread use of transmission links without in-line dispersion compensation enables elegant analytical optical channel modeling which facilitates the use of powerful tools from information theory and digital signal processing. Relying on these aforementioned tools, the introduction of time-interleaved hybrid modulation formats, multi-dimensional modulation formats, and alternative quadrature amplitude modulation formats is investigated in high-speed optical transmission systems. Their impact on signal processing algorithms and achievable information rate over optical links is studied in detail. Next, the design of next generation transponders based on high symbol rate signals operating at 400 Gb/s and 1 Tb/s is investigated. These systems are attractive to reduce the cost per bit as more capacity can be integrated in a single transponder. Thanks to the development of advanced signal processing algorithms combined with state-of-the-art opto-electronic components, record high-capacity transmission experiments are demonstrated: the first single carrier 400 Gb/s transmission over transatlantic distance (at 6 b/s/Hz) and the first 1 Tb/s net data rate transmission based on the parallel synthesis of multiple spectral slices (at 8 b/s/Hz)

Οι απαιτήσεις των δικτύων διασύνδεσης, στα υπολογιστικά συστήματα υψηλής απόδοσης, αυξάνονται με αλματώδη ρυθμό τόσο σε χωρητικότητα, όσο και σε ρυθμούς σηματοδοσίας που πρέπει να εξυπηρετηθούν. Αυτή η αύξηση των ρυθμών σηματοδοσίας επιβάλλει την αντικατάσταση των ηλεκτρικών διακοπτών που χρησιμοποιούνται μέχρι τώρα, από τους οπτικούς. Η τεχνολογία των οπτικών ινών παρουσιάζει σημαντικά πλεονεκτήματα για τέτοιες εφαρμογές διότι επιτρέπει τη μετάδοση σε μεγαλύτερες αποστάσεις, παρέχει ευρυζωνικότητα, είναι πιο ανθεκτική στην ηλεκτρομαγνητική παρεμβολή, και μπορεί να είναι πιο συμφέρουσα ενεργειακά, κάτι που εξαρτάται από το ρυθμό σηματοδοσίας και το μήκος της ζεύξης. Σε αυτή την κατεύθυνση, αυτή η διδακτορική διατριβή αποσκοπεί στο σχεδιασμό και την επίδειξη οικονομικά συμφέροντων, υψηλής διεκπαιρεωτικής ικανότητας, οπτικών δικτύων διασύνδεσης ικρυωμάτων για τα exascale (10^18 Flops) υπολογιστικά συστήματα υψηλής απόδοσης και τα κέντρα δεδομένων. Ειδικότερα, μελετάται μία πρωτότυπη, οικονομικά βελτιστοποιημένη, αρχιτεκτονική ενός αμιγώς οπτικού δικτύου διασύνδεσης η οποία χρησιμοποιεί οπτικούς ημιαγωγικούς ενισχυτές για να επιτελέσει τη μεταγωγή. Αυτή η προτεινόμενη, οικονομικότερη εκδοχή του υπο μελέτη N×N αμιγώς οπτικού, ραβδεπαφικού διακόπτη, χρησιμοποιεί ένα μειωμένο αριθμό απαιτούμενων πυλών ON/OFF. Στην παρούσα διατριβή η προτεινόμενη αρχιτεκτονική συγκρίνεται με την αρχικά προταθείσα και αποδεικνύεται η εξίσου καλή λειτουργία της με την πρώτη, τόσο θεωρητικά όσο και πειραματικά. Επιπλέον, για την αύξηση της χωρητικότητας και παράλληλα για την καταπολέμηση των φαινομένων μετάδοσης στο δίκτυο διασύνδεσης (ιδιαίτερα της αυτοδιαμόρφωσης και ετεροδιαμόρφωσης της απολαβής (SGM και XGM), της αυτοδιαμόρφωσης και ετεροδιαμόρφωσης της φάσης (SPM και XPM), και της εξάρτησης της απολαβής από την πόλωση (PDG)), μελετώνται, εκτός από την τεχνική διαμόρφωσης πλάτους με άμεσης φώραση (IM/DD), διάφορες προηγμένες τεχνικές διαμόρφωσης όπως η διαφορική διαμόρφωση φάσης (DPSK) με άμεση φώραση, η διαμόρφωση με ορθογώνια πολυπλεξία συχνότητας (OFDM) με άμεση φώραση, καθώς και μελλοντικά υποψήφιες τεχνικές διαμόρφωσης, για τέτοια είδους δίκτυα, όπως η τετραδική διαμόρφωση φάσης με πολυπλεξία της πόλωσης (PDM-QPSK), και η δεκαεξαδική διαμόρφωση φάσης και πλάτους (16QAM) χωρίς (SP) και με (PDM) πολυπλεξία της πόλωσης, με σύμφωνη φώραση. Τέλος, ως δεύτερη ερευνητική δραστηριότητα, μελετώνται ζεύξεις σημείου-προς-σημείο, που βασίζονται στη χρήση πομπών κάθετης κοιλότητας επιφανειακής εκπομπής (VCSELs) και πολύτροπες (MMF) ή μονότροπες (SMF) ίνες, σε συνδυασμό με συμβατικές τεχνικές διαμόρφωσης, όπως η ΙΜ/DD, και προηγμένες, όπως η διαμόρφωση πλάτους τεσσάρων επιπέδων (4-PAM), και η OFDM διαμόρφωση. Η χρήση των παραπάνω τεχνολογιών επιτρέπει την αύξηση της χωρητικότητας και τη μείωση του κόστους στα τρέχοντα συστήματα οπτικής διασύνδεσης. / Data rates are continuing to increase for box-to-box, rack-to-rack, board-to-board, and chip-to-chip interconnects for terabit switches and routers, multiprocessor computers and high-end servers. The increase in individual line rates and bandwidth drives the need to replace copper interconnects with optical interconnects. Fiber optics are advantageous for these applications because they allow for longer link lengths, increased bandwidth, smaller cables and connectors, less susceptibility to electromagnetic interference, and potentially lower power dissipation, depending on the data rate and link length. Towards this direction, this thesis aims to design and demonstrate low-cost, low-latency, high throughput, rack-to-rack optical interconnect architectures for exascale (i.e., performing 10^18 floating point operations per second) high-performance computing (HPC) systems and data centers. In particular, a novel, cost-effective, optical interconnect architecture for ultrafast optical switching, based on semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs), is studied. The proposed design of a fast N×N all-optical, wavelength-space crossbar switch for optical interconnects uses a minimum number of ON/OFF gates. This thesis compares and proves the superiority of the proposed architecture with respect to its originally-proposed counterpart, both theoretically and experimentally. Additionally, in order to increase the capacity and to minimize the impact of transmission effects (especially self-gain modulation (SGM), cross-gain modulation (XGM), self-phase modulation (SPM), cross-phase modulation (XPM), and polarization dependent gain (PDG)), we investigate the performance of conventional binary intensity modulation (IM), in conjunction with direct detection, as well as of advanced, more resilient, spectrally-efficient modulation formats (e.g., Differential Phase Shift Keying (DPSK), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), Polarization Division Multiplexed Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (PDM-QPSK), Single (SP)- and PDM- 16-ary Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (16QAM) in conjunction with coherent detection). Finally, as a seperate research activity, we study the performance of point-to-point links based on vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) and single- or multi- mode fibers, in conjuction with IM/DD, four-level Pulse Amplitude Modulation (4-PAM), and OFDM, to enable state-of-the-art, high-capacity, low-cost optical interconnects.