New Technology Eliminates Noise in Long-Distance Telecoms
Researchers from the Optoelectronics Research Centre at the University of Southampton, UK, have developed a special type of filter that can be used in high bit-rate optical systems to remove noise introduced when signals are transmitted over long distances. Current telecommunications systems that transmit signals from one point to another suffer from noise that can reduce the quality of the signal. This new system has the potential to eliminate noise altogether and create much clearer signals.
The ORC has an expertise in developing these filters, which are formed using superstructured fibre Bragg grating technology. Superstructured fibre Bragg gratings treat the incoming optical pulses as coherent waves, and act upon the full pulse spectral bandwidth, thereby allowing their shape to be manipulated with a fine resolution.
This significant discovery helps overcome the current requirement to convert optical signals into the electrical domain for further processing. The filter enables a much more effective way of transmitting and controlling signals because transmission speeds are not restricted to the slower speeds associated with electronic switches.
The application of these filters has been tested in high bit-rate systems, provided by the COM Centre in Copenhagen, unleashing the potential of 'all optical networks'.
'Superstructured fibre Bragg grating filters have several advantages over alternative solutions,' explains Dr Periklis Petropoulos, a member of the research team at the ORC. 'These filters are more compact and we can produce them in large volumes without the need of any special phase masks, making them much more cost effective. In addition, our filters are not polarisation sensitive which means that they are easier to apply to a real system.'
Dr Petropoulos continues: 'We are fortunate enough to be able to work with the COM Centre in Copenhagen and pool resources to obtain these results. We provide the device and subsystem design and COM provide the 160Gbit/s testbed.'
The results of this joint experiment were reported in a paper which received the 'Best Paper Award' at one of the main conferences on optical communications, OECC/IOCC 2007 (Optoelectronics and Communications Conference/Integrated Optics and Optical Fiber Communication).
A second paper revealing further results from the joint experiments has been chosen as an invited paper at Europe's largest optical communications event, ECOC, where it will be presented by Dr Francesca Parmigiani, another member of the ORC team. This major international conference will be held in Berlin (16 - 20 September).
Developments in fibre technology have revolutionised society on a global scale and the ORC has been at the forefront of optical fibre communications since the very earliest days, providing several critical contributions over the decades. This latest discovery will directly contribute to the ongoing development of telecommunications systems and networks of the future by exploiting the vast potential of photonic technologies.
Posted to the site on 10th September 2007
