Forward polarization sensing triggered area-focus DAS over a bidirectional coherent network

Area of Science:

• Optical communication networks
• Integrated sensing and communication systems

Background:

• Optical networks are increasingly incorporating sensing capabilities.
• Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) is a key technology for network monitoring.
• Continuous operation of DAS generates significant data processing demands.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a method for preliminary perturbation detection in bidirectional coherent optical networks.
• To leverage forward polarization information as a trigger for DAS.
• To reduce the operational burden and data processing workload of DAS.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing forward polarization information from a bidirectional coherent network.
• Employing equalization taps to extract sensing data.
• Simultaneous bidirectional 60-GBaud 16-QAM transmission and forward polarization sensing.
• Triggering area-focused DAS based on preliminary sensing data.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated preliminary detection of network perturbations using forward polarization.
• Enabled targeted activation of DAS, focusing on specific areas of interest.
• Significantly reduced the data processing workload for DAS.
• Achieved fine-grained and ultra-low complexity sensing through integrated functions.

Conclusions:

• The proposed method effectively integrates communication and sensing in optical networks.
• Forward polarization sensing acts as an efficient trigger for DAS, enhancing practicality.
• This approach paves the way for advanced network applications and improved surveillance.