Performance analysis of optical OFDM systems

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) has been proposed as a promising technology for high speed optical communication [1]. In this paper, we provide a performance analysis of direct detection optical OFDM (DDO-OFDM), coherent optical OFDM (CO-OFDM) and self coherent optical (SCO-OFDM). We first review the theoretical fundamentals for Optical OFDM and the differences between the three systems. Then, phase noise (PN) effects for various laser linewidths and the effect of the received optical power (ROP) on the system performance for these optical OFDM systems are compared. In this article, we provide the first comparative analysis between the three existing optical OFDM systems, This analysis is simulated using VPItransmissionMaker™ V8.5. Finally, the best optical OFDM system with high performance is shown as a future trend.