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Breaking the Optical Speed Barrier
[March 28, 2007]

Breaking the Optical Speed Barrier


TMCnet Web Editor
 
If there’s any doubt about what technologies will drive data transmission in the future, one only need to look at the fledgling optical communications arena.
 
U.S. and France scientists at Alcatel (News - Alert)-Lucent claim to have successfully transmitted a global record 25.6 Terabits per second of optical data over a single fiber strand, using 160 Wavelength Division Multiplexed (WDM) channels. The scientists claim the bandwidth is enough to transmit data from more than 600 DVDs per second.


 
The findings were presented in an Alcatel-Lucent research paper at the OFC/NFOEC conference underway in Anaheim this week. The results surpass the previous transmission record of 14 Terabits per second, established last September.
 
Alcatel-Lucent said the record speed resulted from leveraging the researchers’ ability to optimize spectral efficiency using both wavelength and polarization multiplexing, and mastering the physical layer of optical networking. Besides Alcatel-Lucent, the research team involved scientists from the National Institute of Information and Communications Technologies in Tokyo and Sumitomo Osaka Cement of Chiba, Japan.
 
“Optical networking is a critical enabler of the broadband IP revolution we are seeing throughout the world today,” said Romano Valussi, president of Alcatel-Lucent’s Optics activities, in a statement. “The experience we are developing in these tests will help Alcatel-Lucent design the most efficient, highest bandwidth systems possible to benefit our customers when networks of this bandwidth are deployed.
 
The experimental system transmitted the data through three 80-kilometer spans, using wavelength division multiplexing in both the conventional and long wavelength bands. To double total capacity, polarization multiplexing in each wavelength was employed.
 
The scientists used an advanced signaling format called RZ-DQPSK to realize a record-breaking 3.2 bits/second/Hertz of spectral efficiency—crucial to fast data transmission. By contrast, commercial systems now achieve spectral efficiencies of 0.2 to 0.4 bits/second/Hertz.
 
Want more wireless news? Check out TMCnet’s complete coverage of the CTIA Wireless (News - Alert) show (March 27-29, 2007) here.
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Spencer Chin is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To see more of his articles, please visit his
columnist page.
 
 
 


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