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Updated: Jan 8, 2026

Transmission of Multiple Signals through an Optical Fiber Using Wavefront Shaping
Published on: March 20, 2017
Ultra-high-order QAM modulation approach based on local constellation decomposition joint shaping
This study introduces a novel joint shaping scheme for ultra-high-order Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) signals, improving bit error rate (BER) performance in intensity modulation direct detection (IMDD) systems using Delta-sigma modulation (DSM). The method enhances receiver sensitivity and system efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Optical Communications
- Signal Processing
- Digital Communications
Background:
- Ultra-high-order Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) is crucial for increasing data rates.
- Existing methods face challenges in efficiently shaping complex constellations for Intensity Modulation Direct Detection (IMDD) systems.
- Probabilistic Shaping (PS) and Geometric Shaping (GS) are advanced techniques for constellation optimization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and evaluate a local constellation decomposition joint shaping scheme for ultra-high-order QAM signals.
- To enhance the transmission performance of 16384QAM in IMDD systems using Delta-sigma modulation (DSM).
- To investigate the impact of information entropy on bit error rate (BER) and receiver sensitivity.
Main Methods:
- A joint shaping scheme involving global probabilistic shaping (PS), local constellation decomposition, and local geometric shaping (GS).
- Integration of Delta-sigma modulation (DSM) for transmitting ultra-high-order 16384QAM signals.
- Performance evaluation through simulations under varying information entropy levels and experimental validation over 25 km single-mode fiber (SMF).
Main Results:
- The proposed joint shaping scheme with DSM significantly outperforms conventional 16384QAM with DSM for the same information entropy.
- Experimental validation confirms the effectiveness of the approach in ultra-high-order communication systems.
- Receiver sensitivity improves by approximately 0.6 dB for every 1 bit/symbol reduction in information entropy.
Conclusions:
- The local constellation decomposition joint shaping scheme offers a superior method for optimizing ultra-high-order QAM signals in IMDD systems.
- The integration of PS, GS, and DSM effectively enhances BER performance and receiver sensitivity.
- This approach represents a significant advancement for future high-capacity optical communication systems.
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