Microresonator-based solitons for massively parallel coherent optical communications
Microresonator-based solitons for massively parallel coherent optical communications
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DOI：
10.1038/nature22387
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发表时间：
2017-06-08
期刊：
影响因子：
64.8
通讯作者：
Koos, Christian
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Marin-Palomo, Pablo;Kemal, Juned N.;Koos, Christian
由于色散和非线性(1，2)的平衡，孤子是在传播时保持其形状的波形。基于孤子的数据传输方案在20世纪80年代被研究，并被认为是一种克服光纤色散造成的限制的方法。然而，这些方法后来被放弃，取而代之的是波分复用方案，这种方案更容易实现，并提供了更高数据速率的更好的可扩展性。在这里，我们展示了孤子可以在光通信中卷土重来，而不是作为竞争对手，而是作为大规模并行波分复用的关键元素。我们使用相关频率梳的连续波音作为载波进行通信，而不是在孤子脉冲序列本身上编码数据。耗散克尔孤子(DKS)(3，4)(依赖于参数增益和腔损耗以及色散和非线性的双重平衡的孤子)在集成的氮化硅微谐振器(5)中通过克尔非线性介导的四光子相互作用产生连续循环脉冲，从而产生低噪声、光谱平滑的宽带光频率梳(6)。我们使用两个交错的DKS频率梳在179个独立的光载波上传输超过50太比特每秒的数据流，这些光载波跨越整个电信C和L频段(以1.55微米的红外通信波长为中心)。我们还使用一对DKS频率梳-一个作为发射端的多波长光源，另一个作为接收端的本地振荡器-演示了对波分复用数据流的相干检测。这种方法利用了基于微谐振器的DKS频率梳光源的可扩展性，用于发射机和接收机的大规模并行光通信。我们的结果表明，这些光源有潜力取代目前用于高速通信的连续波激光器阵列。与先进的空间多路复用方案(7，8)和高度集成的硅光子电路(9)相结合，DKS频率梳可以实现芯片级的每秒PB级收发机。
Solitons are waveforms that preserve their shape while propagating, as a result of a balance of dispersion and nonlinearity(1,2). Soliton-based data transmission schemes were investigated in the 1980s and showed promise as a way of overcoming the limitations imposed by dispersion of optical fibres. However, these approaches were later abandoned in favour of wavelength-division multiplexing schemes, which are easier to implement and offer improved scalability to higher data rates. Here we show that solitons could make a comeback in optical communications, not as a competitor but as a key element of massively parallel wavelength-division multiplexing. Instead of encoding data on the soliton pulse train itself, we use continuous-wave tones of the associated frequency comb as carriers for communication. Dissipative Kerr solitons (DKSs)(3,4) (solitons that rely on a double balance of parametric gain and cavity loss, as well as dispersion and nonlinearity) are generated as continuously circulating pulses in an integrated silicon nitride microresonator(5) via four-photon interactions mediated by the Kerr nonlinearity, leading to low-noise, spectrally smooth, broadband optical frequency combs(6). We use two interleaved DKS frequency combs to transmit a data stream of more than 50 terabits per second on 179 individual optical carriers that span the entire telecommunication C and L bands (centred around infrared telecommunication wavelengths of 1.55 micrometres). We also demonstrate coherent detection of a wavelength-division multiplexing data stream by using a pair of DKS frequency combs-one as a multi-wavelength light source at the transmitter and the other as the corresponding local oscillator at the receiver. This approach exploits the scalability of microresonator-based DKS frequency comb sources for massively parallel optical communications at both the transmitter and the receiver. Our results demonstrate the potential of these sources to replace the arrays of continuous-wave lasers that are currently used in highspeed communications. In combination with advanced spatial multiplexing schemes(7,8) and highly integrated silicon photonic circuits(9), DKS frequency combs could bring chip-scale petabit-per-second transceivers into reach.