OFC/NFOEC to Spotlight Optical Communications Advances

Boosting undersea cable capacity without increasing optical bandwidth, upgrading fiber to radio frequency over glass (RFoG), and data transportation on light trails are just a few of the topics to be discussed at the Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition/National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference (OFC/NFOEC) to be held March 6-10 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

A supercontinuum of light produced within a nonlinear optical fiber. (Image: B. Kibler)

More than 10,000 attendees are expected to attend this telecommunications meeting, which is managed by the Optical Society (OSA). Experts from industry and academia will share their results, experiences and insights on the future of electronic and wireless communication and optical technologies. An exhibit with 500 companies is planned.

Speakers and presentations will include:

Dmitri Foursa, “Coherent 40 Gb/s Transmission with High Spectral Efficiency Over Transpacific Distance,” Monday, March 7, 2:30 p.m.
    The accomplishment of Foursa and his colleagues – to more than double the distance over which transmission of high spectral efficiency channels is possible at the highest commercially deployed submarine rate, 40 GB/s – will be the topic of discussion. As more Internet traffic crosses the ocean in fiber optic cables, more bandwidth is needed. Foursa, a researcher at TE SubCom, said that meeting these demands might be possible in a way that doesn’t require pumping up line rates or bandwidth.

Arun Somani, “Light-trails: Distributed Optical Grooming for Emerging Data-Center, Cloud Computing, and Enterprise Applications,” Tuesday, March 8, 5:30 p.m.
    As traffic increases in optical networks, a more efficient way to move data from place to place will be needed. One option is to use a single dedicated optical bus: a light-trail. Recent simulation has shown that light-trail communication can outperform other network options for certain applications. The approach has possible applications in city networks, data centers and cloud computing.

Donald C. Lee, “Scaling Networks in Large Data Centers,” Wednesday, March 9, 3:30 p.m.
    The requirements of a large data center such as Facebook and the role that optical fiber innovations can play in future data center scale-ups will be discussed. The number of pieces of content in Facebook is rapidly expanding. How all that information is stored in warehouse-size data centers is a constantly evolving process. The company is scaling up its own network of computers and other hardware, said Lee, a Facebook network engineer.
Goery Genty, “Optical Rogue Waves: Physics and Impact,” Thursday, March 10, 3:30 p.m.
    Rare, unusually steep and large waves in an optical system based on nonlinear optical fiber near the threshold of soliton-fission supercontinuum generation have been observed by scientists. A giant flash – far larger than expected – would suddenly appear, seemingly for no reason, said Daniel Solli, a researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles. A slight bit of random noise having just the right characteristics could set off a nonlinear chain reaction that created the supersize solitons. Could the phenomenon that created these rare waves in light be related to the gigantic “rogue” waves in ocean waters? Optical experiments may help to provide insight that could help mariners predict these dangerous waves.

Jim Farmer, “RFoG – Foggy, or Real,” Thursday, March 10, 4 p.m.
    The eventual transition to all-optical-fiber TV networks means there no longer will be a coaxial cable running to each customer’s house. Getting the full potential from the optics will require replacing the signal-producing devices. Some cable operators want to continue sending RFoG as a way to upgrade to fiber while postponing a complete overhaul. “RFoG provides cable operators a way to break into fiber to the home without having to disrupt their operational procedures,” said Farmer, solutions architect at Enablence, an optical communications company. RFoG has been tested, and wider adoption is likely now that a standard has been adopted.

For more information, visit:  www.ofcnfoec.org