Fujitsu Laboratories and the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute HHI today announced the development of a new method to simultaneously convert the wavelengths of wavelength-division-multiplexed signals necessary for optical communication relay nodes in future wavelength-division-multiplexed optical networks, and have successfully tested the method using high-bandwidth signal transmission in the range of 1 Tbps.
In the conventional optical wavelength conversion method each individual optical wavelength is converted into an electrical signal and re-transmitted at a new wavelength, which is impractical for terabit-class processing as each wavelength requires its own O/E/O [Optical/Electrical/Optical] circuit. Using the new technology, the optical wavelength conversion and the polarization state are controlled at the same time, so simultaneous wavelength conversion of wide-band optical signals can be achieved without restrictions on the wavelengths of the optical input signal or the modulation formats. As a result, processing can be achieved with a single wavelength converter, regardless of the number of wavelengths multiplexed. Therefore, considering optical signals in excess of 1 Tbps multiplexed from ten wavelengths, for example, the new method can process them using just one-tenth of the power or less compared to previous technologies that required a separate circuit to convert each wavelength into an electrical signal and back.
The researchers assert the method will boost signal throughput.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Wednesday September 21 2016, @05:25AM
this will be useful for the [FOURTH DIRECTIVE TRIGGERED]
Account abandoned.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 21 2016, @09:46AM
So what's the trade-off here?
Is it higher latency, higher cost, reduced bandwidth?
(Score: 2) by RamiK on Wednesday September 21 2016, @06:08PM
Looking at the summary, it's lower latency, lower cost & higher bandwidth.
So, I'm guessing the downsides will be efficiency for narrow bandwidth applications. Maybe low tolerance to wide spectrum interference\spikes?
Considering they only just built a demo circuit in the lab, we'll know in 3-5 years when \ if this hits the market.
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