arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Cristian Antonelli.
We demonstrate power-regime-dependent guardband optimization for quantum-classical coexistence in metropolitan DWDM. Quantum channel at band-edge with 100-150 GHz guardbands achieves 108% SKR improvement at -1.5 dBm/ch, incurring 3.4% capacity loss versus 6.8% for band-center.
We implement full-field digital back-propagation with a 1-THz receiver using 20 synchronous frequency-adjacent coherent receivers with digital stitching and a frequency-comb local oscillator. Relative to electronic dispersion compensation, per-channel DBP and full-field DBP achieve throughput gains of 2.2\% and 5.4\%, respectively.
In optical communications, the Raman effect is exploited for its lasing properties in distributed Raman amplification (DRA) and leads to spectral distortions through inter-channel stimulated Raman scattering (ISRS). In single-mode fibers, these effects are well understood and modeled, but equivalent closed-form expressions for arbitrarily coupled space-division multiplexing (SDM) links are lacking. In this work, we expand upon previous literature by providing closed-form expressions modelling DRA and ISRS in common SDM fiber designs that support arbitrarily-coupled degenerate mode-groups, incorporate mode coupling, and accounting for inter-modal non-linear effects, showing excellent agreement with simulations. The derived formulas are then applied to representative scenarios, illustrating how distinct pump and fiber configurations influence gain and mode-dependent gain (MDG). Finally, we describe suggested routines for experimentally estimating the Raman response profiles of SDM fibers.
We investigate the impact of mode-dependent loss (MDL) on the statistics of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in coupled-core multi-core fiber (CC-MCF) systems. Through numerical and theoretical simulations, we present an in-depth analysis of the impact of MDL on received amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise and nonlinear interference (NLI), as well as their joint contribution to the SNR. We show that MDL induces different statistics on the two noises and discuss the differences with single-mode polarization-dependent loss. Moreover, we investigate the impact of spatial mode dispersion (SMD) on the MDL-induced impairment, offering insights on their joint effects on ASE and NLI.
Classical-quantum coexistence enables cost-effective transmission of data and quantum signals over the same fiber-optic channel. Nevertheless, weak quantum-key distribution (QKD) signals are susceptible to non-linear interference generated from the classical traffic, primarily spontaneous Raman scattering (SpRS) and four-wave-mixing (FWM), as well as to unfiltered noise. In QKD protocols, increased channel loss and excess noise both reduce the secret key rates (SKRs), as illustrated in this work for the two-state BB84 and Gaussian-modulated coherent-states (GMCS) protocols. In this study, we derive closed-form expressions for evaluating the accumulated interference power from coexisting classical signals in a quantum frequency channel. Our model enables effective design of classical-quantum systems in single-mode fibers (SMFs), capturing the evolution of interference arising from the relevant physical phenomena. We utilize the model to examine frequency allocation in multiband transmission systems, demonstrating that, contrary to common practice of allocating QKD channels in the O-band, increased SKR is achieved by placing quantum channels in the upper E-/lower S-band across the relevant scenarios.
Spontaneous Raman scattering (SpRS) is a weak non-linear effect, particularly relevant to classical-quantum coexistence transmission and sensing applications. In classical transmission, the relevant Raman effect is stimulated Raman scattering (SRS), and recent studies have examined it in space-division multiplexing (SDM) fibers. An intrinsic relation between SpRS and SRS allows previous SRS results to inform SpRS models. In this work, we extend SpRS models derived for single-mode fibers (SMFs) to SDM fibers with multiple mode groups of degenerate modes, covering both Stokes and anti-Stokes bands. The proposed model is a useful, fiber-design-independent tool for evaluating scattered noise in optical links, and it is validated through experimental measurements in field-deployed multi-core fibers (MCFs) and multi-mode fiber (MMF), showing good agreement.
We present an experimental characterization of coexistence-induced interference in QKD transmission arising from SpRS and FWM, validating a comprehensive semi-analytical model for accurate noise estimation. Experimental results show good agreement with theoretical predictions.
Wideband systems experience significant inter-channel stimulated Raman scattering (ISRS) and channel-dependent losses. Due to the non-uniform attenuation profile, the combined effects of ISRS and fiber loss can only be accurately estimated using numerical methods. In this work, we present an approximate closed-form expression for the channels' power profile accounting for these combined effects. We validate the proposed expression against numerical solutions in the case of CLU transmission, showing high accuracy for both single-span and multi-span fiber-optic links. Additionally, we derive an inverse expression, formulated as a function of the output power, which can be utilized to target a desired optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) profile through pre-emphasis of the launched channel powers.
The rising interest in quantum-level communication has resulted in proposals for coexistence schemes with classical signals within the same fiber optic channel, where the most recent proposals leverage novel fibers designed for space-division multiplexing (SDM) transmission. In all cases the large power difference between classical and quantum channels presents challenges for such schemes, as the classical signals generate interfering noise that corrupts the quantum signal. In this work, we discuss the main interference mechanisms in coexistence scenarios and provide a model to quantify their impact on the quantum signal quality. Analytical approximations in the model allow accurate and fast numerical solutions in the millisecond time-scale. The model accounts for out-of-band non-linear interference effects, namely spontaneous Raman scattering (SpRS) and four-wave-mixing (FWM) in both cases of single-mode and SDM fibers with weakly-coupled degenerate mode groups. Rayleigh and SpRS backscattering are considered in counter-propagating scenarios. Since broadband classical transmission is targeted, the model also accounts for the effect of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS)-induced power tilt. Use of the model in sample scenarios indicates that the interference noise power is minimized at the high end of the transmission band in both cases were the quantum is co- and counter-propagating with respect to the classical signals, with a preference of one or the other scheme depending on the link length and quantum signal center frequency. Our model reveals that FWM has negligible impact in counter-propagating schemes, but can be relevant in co-propagating schemes under certain scenarios. Nevertheless, the FWM interference can be mitigated by deallocating the classical signals adjacent to the quantum channel.
The telecommunications industry's deployment of billions of kilometers of optical fiber has created a vast global network that can be exploited for additional applications such as environmental sensing, quantum networking and international clock comparisons. However, for reasons such as the unidirectionality of long-haul fiber links, telecom fiber networks cannot always be adapted for important applications beyond data transmission. Fortunately, new multicore optical fibers create the opportunity for application coexistence with data traffic, creating expansive multifunctional networks. Towards that end, we propose and demonstrate the faithful transfer of ultrastable optical signals through multicore fiber in a way that is compatible with the unidirectionality of long-haul fiber optic systems, demonstrating a fractional frequency instability of 3x10-19 at 10,000 seconds. This opens the door towards intercontinental optical clock comparisons, with applications in fundamental physics and the redefinition of the second.
Multicore fibers are expected to be a game-changer in the coming decades thanks to their intrinsic properties, allowing a larger transmission bandwidth and a lower footprint in optical communications. In addition, multicore fibers have recently been explored for quantum communication, attesting their uniqueness in transporting high-dimensional quantum states. However, investigations and experiments reported in literature have been carried out in research laboratories, typically making use of short fiber links in controlled environments. Thus, the possibility of using long distance multicore fibers for quantum applications is still to be proven. We here characterize for the first time, in terms of phase stability, multiple strands of a 4-core multicore fiber installed underground in the city of L'Aquila, with an overall fiber length up to about 25 km. In this preliminary study, we investigate the possibility of using such an infrastructure to implement quantum-enhanced schemes, such as high-dimensional quantum key distribution, quantum-based environmental sensors, and more in general quantum communication protocols.
A general quantum channel consisting of a decohering and a filtering element carries one qubit of an entangled photon pair. As we apply a local filter to the other qubit, some mutual quantum information between the two qubits is restored depending on the properties of the noise mixed into the signal. We demonstrate a drastic difference between channels with bit-flip and phase-flip noise and further suggest a scheme for maximal recovery of the quantum information.
We propose two transceiver schemes based on Kramers Kronig (KK) detection. One targets low-cost high-throughput applications and uses PAM transmission in combination with direct detection and digital reconstruction of the optical phase. This scheme allows digital compensation of chromatic dispersion and provides a significant improvement in terms of spectral efficiency, compared to conventional PAM transmission. The second scheme targets high-channel-count coherent systems with the aim of simplifying the receiver complexity by reducing the optical components count.
We present a model for multi-wavelength mixing in semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) based on coupled-mode equations. The proposed model applies to all kinds of SOA structures, takes into account the longitudinal dependence of carrier density caused by saturation, it accommodates an arbitrary functional dependencies of the material gain and carrier recombination rate on the local value of carrier density, and is computationally more efficient by orders of magnitude as compared with the standard full model based on space-time equations. We apply the coupled-mode equations model to a recently demonstrated phase-sensitive amplifier based on an integrated SOA and prove its results to be consistent with the experimental data. The accuracy of the proposed model is certified by means of a meticulous comparison with the results obtained by integrating the space-time equations.
Mode-dependent loss (MDL) is known to be a major issue in space-division multiplexed (SMD) systems. Its effect on performance is complex as it affects both the data carrying signal and the accumulated amplification noise. In this paper we propose a procedure for characterizing the MDL of SDM systems by means of standard measurements that are routinely performed on SDM setups. The figure of merit that we present for quantifying MDL incorporates the effect on the transmitted signal and the noise and is directly related to the spectral efficiency reduction.
We derive the fundamental equations describing nonlinear propagation in multi-mode fibers in the presence of random mode coupling within quasi-degenerate groups of modes. Our result generalizes the Manakov equation describing mode coupling between polarizations in single-mode fibers. Nonlinear compensation of the modal dispersion is predicted and tested via computer simulations.
In spite of the massive interest that the generalized Manakov equation has attracted in the past two decades, no physical system which is quantitatively described by this equation has been reported so far. In this paper we show that propagation in a group of degenerate modes of a multi-mode optical fiber satisfies this equation in the presence of random mode coupling. Consequently, this is the first reported physical system that admits true multi-component soliton solutions. The reported formalism constitutes the starting point for future studies of nonlinear effects in multi-mode fiber transmission.
We study the decoherence of polarization-entangled photon pairs subject to the effects of polarization mode dispersion, the chief polarization decoherence mechanism in optical fibers. We show that fiber propagation reveals an intriguing interplay between the concepts of entanglement sudden death, decoherence-free sub-spaces and non-locality. We define the boundaries in which entanglement-based quantum communications protocols relying on fiber propagation can be applied.