Cognitive optical networks enabled by coherent technologies and filterless concepts

相干调制解调器性能和数字信号处理（DSP）技术的最新发展刺激了对新型敏捷网络架构的探索。申请人的小组已经提出了一种无源广域网（WAN）解决方案，称为无滤波器光网络，作为有源光交换网络解决方案的成本有效且可靠的替代方案。所提出的光网络架构是基于这样的前提，即可以通过在发射机处的波长调谐和相干接收机的波长鉴别来提供对敏捷性的需求，这与在无线电网络中实现敏捷性的方式大致相同。无滤波器相干网络本质上提供无源广播介质，其中在某些节点处使用无源非滤波光分路器和组合器来互连光纤链路。所提出的研究计划建立在无滤波器光网络的理论研究和由申请人的小组开发的先进的光层测试床的基础上。 ** 该计划旨在提出基于无滤波器和认知概念的相干光网络设计和控制的新方法，并在理论和实验上证明这些概念在实际应用中的适用性以及对成本，性能和能耗的影响。在第一阶段，该项目将探索用于无滤波器网络的设计和控制平面的认知光网络概念，作为通过传输质量、网络状态和能耗感知更好地路由流量和分配资源的潜在手段。在我们的无滤波器设计和控制平面工具中，将测量和集成特定于树枝无滤波器架构中的相干传输的损伤。 在第二阶段，该项目将集中在候选的认知灵活的光网络架构的设计。将组装一个小规模的无滤波器网络。将设计具体的实验来验证这些新的网络概念，并评估使用认知的动态性能和益处，包括资源利用率，损伤意识和信号质量评估。拟议研究项目的独创性在于无滤波器光网络概念本身，这看起来越来越像未来高容量光网络的一个非常严肃的候选架构，也因为新的认知网络架构，由相干技术和节能设计实践实现，将从理论和实验角度进行探索，从而允许以新的方式使用可用带宽，最大化网络灵活性。 其他创新包括：新的设计方法和基于灵活和认知光网络概念的控制平面;新的设计工具和适用于相干网络的模拟器;用于内容交付网络的成本有效的多播架构;以及新的应用，特别是考虑到无滤波器网络可能表现出更低的线路成本和延迟，更高的可靠性，与基于传统有源光子交换和光色散补偿元件的光交换网络相比，具有更小的占用面积和更低的节点设备复杂性。 ** 拟议的研究计划将在5年的预期时间内实现。 总共有3位博士。本研究计划将有100名在校生和4名硕士生参与。

Recent developments in coherent modem performance and digital signal processing (DSP) technologies have stimulated the exploration of novel agile network architectures. The applicant's group has proposed a passive wide area network (WAN) solution, called the filterless optical network, as a cost-effective and reliable alternative to active optical switching network solutions. The proposed optical network architecture is based on the premise that the need for agility can be provided by wavelength tuning at the transmitter and wavelength discrimination by the coherent receiver, in much the same way as agility is achieved in radio networks. Filterless coherent networks essentially offer a passive broadcast medium in which passive non-filtered optical splitters and combiners are used at some nodes for interconnecting the fiber links. The proposed research program builds on both the theoretical research on filterless optical networking and the advanced optical layer test bed developed by the applicant's group. **The program is aimed at proposing novel approaches for coherent optical network design and control, based on filterless and cognitive concepts, and at demonstrating, both theoretically and experimentally, the applicability of these concepts in real-world applications and the impact on cost, performance and energy consumption. In the first phase, the project will explore cognitive optical networking concepts for the design and for the control plane of filterless networks as a potential means to better route traffic and assign resources through quality of transmission, network status and energy consumption awareness. The impairments that are specific to coherent transmission in a branch-tree filterless architecture will be measured and integrated in our filterless design and control plane tools. In the second phase, the project will concentrate on the design of candidate cognitive flexible optical network architectures. A small scale filterless network will be assembled. Specific experiments will be designed for validating these novel networking concepts and evaluating the dynamic performance and benefits of using cognition, in terms of resource utilization, impairment awareness and signal quality evaluation.**The originality of the proposed research project lies in the filterless optical networking concept itself, which is looking increasingly like a very serious candidate architecture for future high capacity optical networks, and also because novel cognitive network architectures, enabled by coherent technologies and energy efficient design practices, will be explored from both the theoretical and experimental perspectives, thereby allowing the use of the available bandwidth in new ways, maximizing network flexibility. Some additional innovations are: new design methods and a control plane based on flexible and cognitive optical networking concepts; new design tools and a simulator adapted to coherent networks; cost-effective multicast architectures for content-delivery networks; and new applications, particularly given that filterless networks are likely to exhibit lower line cost and latency, higher reliability, smaller footprint and less node equipment complexity than optical switching networks based on conventional active photonic switching and optical dispersion compensation elements. **The proposed research program will be realized in an expected time frame of 5 years. In total, 3 Ph.D. students and 4 Master's students will be involved in the research program.