• Media type: E-Article
  • Title: Multi-wavelength transponders for high-capacity optical networks: a physical-layer-aware network planning study
  • Contributor: Müller, Jasper; Jovanovic, Ognjen; Fehenberger, Tobias; Di Rosa, Gabriele; Elbers, Jörg-Peter; Mas-Machuca, Carmen
  • Published: Optica Publishing Group, 2023
  • Published in: Journal of Optical Communications and Networking, 15 (2023) 7, Seite C138
  • Language: English
  • DOI: 10.1364/jocn.483320
  • ISSN: 1943-0639; 1943-0620
  • Origination:
  • Footnote:
  • Description: Continued cost- and power-efficient capacity scaling in optical networks is imperative to keep pace with ever-increasing traffic demands. In this paper, we investigate multi-wavelength transponders as a potential way forward. Suitable system architectures and realistic specifications of multi-wavelength transponders are identified and analyzed in terms of transmit optical signal-to-noise ratio penalties and spectral constraints. We investigate the performance for different specifications as compared to single-wavelength transponders in a network planning study on two network topologies, developing guidelines for multi-wavelength transponder specifications and their potential benefits. The studies show a reduction in the number of required lasers of up to 83% at the expense of a slight increase in the number of lightpaths, demonstrating the potential for significant cost savings and efficiency improvements.