UltraFlow Access Network With Remotely Powered and Controlled Quasi-Passive Reconfigurable Remote Node

In this paper, we propose an UltraFlow access network enabled by a remotely powered and controlled quasi-passive reconfigurable (QPAR) node. Residing at the remote node (RN), QPAR can dynamically split and route optical channels to any users attached to its outputs, thereby improving bandwidth efficiency and ensuring harmonic coexistence of different network services in the UltraFlow access network. We experimentally demonstrate the proposed UltraFlow access network with a 2 × 4 × 4 QPAR. The QPAR module is powered by a local supercapacitor that is remotely charged by remote laser power. Remote switching control in the QPAR has also been demonstrated with a self-designed control circuit. Scalability of the system is studied in the context of channel power budget and switching control in QPAR. Compared to other RN architectures, QPAR enabled UltraFlow access network uses about 50% less channels on average during low traffic time, and significantly reduces IP service delays in presence of unbalanced IP traffics. Simulation results also indicate that QPAR helps to mitigate the impact of multicast Flow traffic on Flow service delays by a maximum of 90%.