Optimal dispersion compensation and polarization-mode dispersion compensation in all-optical 40 Gbps-per-channel-based WDM wavelength-routed optical fiber networks

Abstract

This paper proposes an algorithm for the employment of dispersion-compensating units (DCUs) and for the employment of polarization-mode-dispersion compensators (PMDCs) on 40-Gbps-per-channel-based wavelength-routed optical fiber network. The algorithm can be used for both non-slope compensated (NS)-DCU and slope-compensated (SC)-DCU. We use the optical pan-European network (OPEN) as a sample network. By applying our algorithms, we show that only the NS-DCUs cannot be only used for the OPEN due to the over and under compensation. However, we demonstrate that the employment of only SC-DCUs, whose number is 108 units, is capable for achieving all the light paths using all wavelengths in c band to be well below dispersion limit. Moreover, in case of single link failure, OPEN with path protection requires 220 units SC-DCU. We also show the possibility of employing the combination of NS-DCUs and SC-DCUs in OPEN. In this case, the required total number of DCUs is only 67 units. For the employment of PMDC, it is not needed to be installed in OPEN. For the PMD compensation, we show that the OPEN does not need the PMD compensation. However, in case of extending the network in such a way that the longest shortest path becomes 2,852 km, 4 PMDCs are required.