BER-adaptive flexible-format transmitter for elastic optical networks

Area of Science:

• Optical communications
• Digital signal processing

Background:

• Flexible modulation formats are crucial for optimizing optical communication systems.
• Existing transmitters often lack the adaptability to dynamically switch between various modulation schemes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and demonstrate a novel optical transmitter capable of flexibly selecting and implementing multiple modulation formats.
• To introduce an intelligent algorithm for dynamic modulation format selection based on signal quality.

Main Methods:

• The transmitter combines a dual-drive Mach-Zehnder modulator (DD-MZM) and a dual-parallel MZM (DP-MZM).
• Electrical binary drive signals are used to control amplitude and phase modulation via frequency chirp in the DD-MZM.
• An algorithm is developed to assess signal quality and select the appropriate modulation format.

Main Results:

• The transmitter successfully generates binary phase shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), 8-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (8QAM), and 16QAM.
• The DD-MZM configuration enables amplitude and phase modulation by adjusting electrical drive signal amplitudes.
• The integrated algorithm demonstrates intelligent selection of modulation formats based on signal quality.

Conclusions:

• The proposed optical transmitter offers unprecedented flexibility in modulation format selection for optical signals.
• This technology enhances optical communication systems by enabling dynamic adaptation to varying signal quality.
• The intelligent algorithm provides a pathway for optimizing data transmission efficiency and reliability.