Timing-jitter reduction for a dispersion-managed soliton system: experimental evidence

Area of Science:

• Optical Communications
• Soliton Physics
• Fiber Optics

Background:

• Timing jitter in optical fiber systems limits data rates and transmission distances.
• Dispersion management techniques are crucial for mitigating signal degradation over long distances.
• Solitons offer potential for stable long-haul data transmission due to their self-reinforcing properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure timing jitter of dispersion-managed solitons over extended distances.
• To validate theoretical models for timing jitter in such systems.
• To assess the feasibility of long-haul optical communication using dispersion-managed solitons.

Main Methods:

• Experiments were conducted using a recirculating fiber loop up to 20,000 km.
• Data transmission rates of 10 Gbit/s were tested with pseudorandom binary sequence patterns (2^7-1 and 2^23-1).
• Timing jitter was analyzed using a filtered Gordon-Haus model, considering soliton energy enhancement.

Main Results:

• Good agreement was found between experimental data and the filtered Gordon-Haus model.
• Timing jitter was reduced due to the energy enhancement of solitons compared to those in constant dispersion fibers.
• A bit-error rate below 10^-9 was achieved at 15,000 km transmission distance.

Conclusions:

• The filtered Gordon-Haus model effectively describes timing jitter in dispersion-managed soliton systems.
• Dispersion-managed solitons demonstrate potential for reliable long-haul optical communication.
• The observed energy enhancement significantly contributes to jitter reduction over long distances.