Optical Fiber Communication Systems for the Connected World

光纤通信系统是互联世界的支柱。实际上，在全球通信网络上传输的所有信息都以二进制数据表示，并转换成通过光纤传播的光脉冲。对基于云的存储和服务（如软件即服务（SaaS））、社交媒体服务（如Facebook）、视频流（如YouTube、Netflix）和机器对机器应用（如物联网）的需求推动了高带宽连接的进步。这些服务和应用正在推动连接需求的爆炸式增长（全球互联网流量的复合年增长率为40%），而这只能通过光纤通信系统的持续创新来满足。

Optical fiber communication systems are the backbone of the connected world. Virtually all information transmitted over the global communications network is represented as binary data and transformed into optical pulses that propagate over optical fibers. Advances in high-bandwidth connectivity are being driven by demands for cloud-based storage and services (e.g., Software as a Service (SaaS)), social media services (e.g., Facebook), video streaming (e.g., YouTube, Netflix), and machine-to-machine applications (e.g., Internet of Things). These services and applications are fueling an explosive increase in demand for connectivity (the compound annual growth rate of global Internet traffic is 40%) that can only be met by continued innovation in optical fiber communications systems. The research program will endeavor to produce breakthroughs on two inter-related optical fiber communications systems themes: long-reach systems (e.g., core networks, regional networks,) and short-reach systems (e.g., metropolitan networks, and Data Center Interconnects (DCIs)). For long-reach systems, the proposed research is directed at two key challenges for flexible grid elastic optical networks: increasing the spectral efficiency and transmission distance. The proposed short-reach system research will quantify specific impairments and devise mitigation strategies commensurate with constraints on power consumption, size and cost. The planned outcomes are fundamental advances in i) techniques for increasing the spectral efficiency and achievable transmission distance of long-reach transport systems utilizing coherent detection by tolerating, compensating and ultimately exploiting fiber nonlinearities; and ii) techniques for increasing the capacity and reach of short-reach systems utilizing direct detection by enhancing the performance and functionality of low complexity direct detection transceivers. The impact of our proposed research to the field will be to advance the fundamental science and engineering of optical fiber transmission systems by fusing the concepts of optical performance monitoring, modulation format optimization, fiber nonlinearity mitigation, and transceiver design. Canadians will be impacted by program innovations; these innovations will produce optical networks with the advanced intelligence and higher capacities that will enable service providers to offer data and video-centric products to residential and business customers at lower costs. The program will train four Ph.Ds. students and two summer students in leading-edge technologies, preparing them to contribute to the development of next generation Information and Communications Technology (ICT) products and services that will benefit Canadians.