Impact of Crosstalk Estimation Methods on the Performance of Spectrally and Spatially Flexible Optical Networks

We focus on a crosstalk-aware lightpath planning problem in a spectrally and spatially flexible optical network (SS-FON) in which spectral super-channels (SChs) are carried over multi-core fibers (MCFs) and distance-adaptive transmission is considered. The problem concerns establishing lightpath connections for a set of traffic demands in such a way that the inter-core crosstalk (XT) impairment affecting the quality of transmitted signals does not exceed allowable threshold levels. The aim of this work is to compare the methods ensuring required XT levels. In particular, we analyze two basic methods: a) based on worst-case XT and b) using precise XT estimation. Both methods are implemented in a XT-aware routing, spatial mode, and spectrum allocation (RSSA) algorithm, which is applied to solve the planning problem. The obtained numerical results show the impact of considered XT estimation methods on network performance.