Photonics technologies for access networks and short range communications

在过去的十年里，由光网络实现的数据通信已经彻底改变了我们的生活方式。它改变了我们的工作、学习和交流方式。每天，新的服务和应用都在推动光通信网络的增长，这就需要向最终用户提供高带宽服务的基础设施。光网络面临的挑战是多方面的。分组交换网络目前被认为是在数据网络中提供有效带宽管理的一种手段。在长途链路中，传统的开/关键控调制正在被更复杂的格式所取代，这些格式实现了创纪录的容量和频谱效率。但最终用户如何才能访问这种非凡的带宽呢？光子学在提供这种连接方面将扮演什么角色？目前正在研究的解决方案包括光纤波分复用无源光网络(WDM-PON)和与光纤主干的移动射频连接(光纤无线电)。本研究致力于扩展这些网络的覆盖范围和容量。更具体地说，我们将集中精力研究能够实现新的高效体系结构或提供新频段接入的光子器件。作为该项目的延伸，我们将探索如何将这些技术应用于其他环境，如传感器网络。为了实现这些目标，我们将利用我们在光纤元件和光通信系统方面的现有专业知识。

Over the last decade, data communications enabled by optical networks have revolutionized our way of life. It has changed how we work, learn and communicate. Every day, new services and applications are fuelling the growth of optical communication networks, requiring an infrastructure that will deliver high bandwidth services to end users. The challenges facing optical networks are manifold. Packet-switched networks are currently considered as a means to provide efficient bandwidth management in data networks. In long haul links, traditional on/off keying modulation is being replaced by more complex formats that achieve record breaking capacity and spectral efficiency. But how can the final user access this extraordinary bandwidth? What will be the role of photonics in providing this connectivity? Solutions that are currently being studied include fiber optics passive optical networks with wavelength division multiplexing (WDM-PON) and mobile RF connections with fiber optic backbone (radio-over-fiber). This research is concerned with extending the reach and capacity of these networks. More specifically, we will focus our efforts on studying photonic devices that can enable new and efficient architectures or give access to new frequency bands. As an extension of this project we will explore how these technologies can be applied to other contexts such as sensor networks. To achieve these objectives, we will build on our current expertise in fiber optic components and optical communication systems.