We present a linear optical receiver realized on 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS. Error-free operation assuming FEC is shown at bitrates up to 64 Gb/s (32 Gbaud) with 165 mW power consumption, corresponding to 2.578 pJ/bit.

The soaring demand for higher speeds in datacenters to address the relentless growth of the global IP traffic places optical interconnects in the spotlight. In this manuscript, we present a high-speed optical transceiver for intra-datacenter connectivity. The transceiver is based on single-mode, single-polarization high-speed vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), a VCSEL driver chip, and a linear receiver. Following a step-by-step approach, we present the architectures, assembly processes, and experimental results from the different modules. More specifically, we demonstrate (1) a data transmission experiment at 80 Gb/s using PAM-4 (four-level Pulse Amplitude Modulation) modulation for a reach of up to 500 m by employing a single-mode VCSEL module, and (2) a full-link experiment proving up to 64 Gb/s per lane capacity using PAM-4 signaling of the VCSEL-based optical transceiver test vehicles in back-to-back configuration and up to 56 Gb/s for 500 m and 2 km transmission distances. The acquired experimental results verify the suitability of the optical transceiver for intra-datacenter interconnects’ applications.

Optical networks are evolving toward self-adaptation exploiting self-observation of network conditions (e.g., through monitoring at the physical layer). Thus, according to monitoring information, reconfiguration of network devices including switches and transponders (e.g., transmission parameters) is acted. Typically, the network is thought as centralized, where a central software defined networking (SDN) controller holds the overall view of network topology and resources and, upon connection request, it decides for routing and spectrum assignment, and, then, it configures accordingly the data plane. Similarly, the central controller receives notifications when failures occur and (re)acts by reconfiguring the data plane. However, centralized solutions can suffer from scalability and responsiveness issues, translating in delays during provisioning and recovery. In this paper, we report the demonstration in a field trial of an automatic and self-reconfigurable network. We leverage a novel control paradigm based on programmable finite state machine (FSM) where each state is associated to a specific network condition and a state transition implies network reconfiguration. Thanks to this approach the central controller can instruct (pre- program) network devices making them aware of the proper reconfiguration settings associated to the network conditions. Then, the reconfiguration is triggered locally, thus increasing scalability and response speed. Two successful experiments will be shown: 1) local transmission parameter adaption according to physical layer conditions; 2) connection central frequency optimization mitigating filtering effects and distortions.

We propose a novel approach to mitigate the limitations of high-speed Passive Optical Networks (PONs) by introducing an all-optical processor. This solution addresses the escalating demand for higher data rates and improved performance in future access networks. The all-optical processor leverages optical signal processing to enhance system efficiency and reduce power consumption compared to traditional electrical methods. Specifically, we explore the processor’s dual functionality in performing all-optical equalization and chromatic dispersion compensation. Our research includes a comprehensive analysis of the processor’s design, operational principles, and system validation through extensive simulation studies, demonstrating significant improvements in signal quality and overall network performance. The results indicate that the all-optical processor not only relaxes the DSP and power requirements but also outperforms the more sophisticated digital counterpart methods.

White boxes, originally introduced in data centers, are expected to soon also penetrate the market of wide area networks, since operators see them as a way to drive down capital expenditure. Indeed, white boxes can be composed of modules from different vendors, removing the traditional vendor lock-in and creating more competition in the market, thus reducing hardware costs. In this paper, we describe the experimental demonstration of a fully disaggregated white box, composed of two different types of transponders, monitors (including filtering effect parameter monitors), add-drop multiplexers, and switches. Toward this end, we developed an appropriate control and management plane for the white box based on NETCONF and YANG. Using that, we demonstrated the automatic reconfiguration of the white box so as to maintain the service in the presence of multiple unexpected degradations: signal-to-noise ratio decrease and filtering distortion. We also demonstrated and presented here a vendor-neutral procedure to compute the thresholds used for raising alarms in response to physical layer degradations.