Experimental Demonstration of 100 Gbps/λ C-Band Direct-Detection Downstream PON Using Non-Linear and CD Compensation with 29 dB+ OPL Over 0 Km–100 Km

Passive Optical Networks (PON), able to operate at 50 Gbps per wavelength (λ), are under development and standardization, based on intensity-modulation (IM) and direct-detection (DD) systems. The next step in PON evolution will be driven by 5G/6G fronthauling capacity demands, and will require the development of 100 Gbps/λ (and beyond) systems, which poses big challenges if maintaining the DD-format. In this contribution, we analyze a 100 Gbps/λ PON architecture able to preserve the IM-DD approach at the Optical Network Unit (ONU), placing the complexity at the Optical Line Terminal (OLT), thanks to Digital Signal Processing (DSP). We experimentally demonstrate a 100 Gbps/λ transmission using this architecture in the downstream (DS) direction. Chromatic dispersion digital pre-compensation (CD-DPC) in combination with an IQ Mach-Zehnder Modulator (IQ-MZM) is used at the transmitter (TX). Keeping the ONU DSP as simple as possible, as compared with current DSP proposals for 50 Gbps/λ PON, is another main goal of this work. Adaptive equalization (AEQ) is used to correct for linear impairments, in addition to digital non-linear correction (NLC) at the receiver (RX). We compare two NLC approaches: a full Volterra Non-Linear Equalizer (VNLE) and a simpler NLC technique based on a square-root like function (SQRT). Operation over standard single-mode fiber (SMF) in C-band, achieving reaches from 0 km to 100 km and Optical Path Loss (OPL) values higher than 29 dB, are shown. The analyzed proposal is directly applicable to Terabit-capable wavelength division multiplexing (WDM)-PON, and can be extended to very high-speed Time Division Multiplexing (TDM)-PON and TWDM-PON, with some modifications discussed here.