MATTHEW PEACH NORTHERN HIGHLIGHTS
NORTHERN HIGHLIGHTS
GOTHENBURG EXPO SHOWCASES LATEST TELECOMS BREAKTHROUGHS
the longer wavelength range for ultra- wideband operation, fibre lasers in the 2µm wavelength range, hollow core fibres for communication and sensing, and fast distributed fibre temperature sensors. SC2 – Integrated Optoelectronic Devices and Optical Processors In the field of optoelectronic devices, there is a steady progression towards higher density of integration of devices based on III/V materials. Furthermore, silicon photonics has now transitioned to being a practical technology, in which several integrated devices have been demonstrated such as large port-count matrix switches. At the intersection of III/V and silicon, fast integrated laser/ modulators on silicon are also attracting greater interest. In support of mode- multiplexed transmission, there is also a lot of activity in planar mode multiplexing devices, including WDM/MDM (de) multiplexers. SC3 – Digital Techniques for Optical Communication Systems Constellation shaping both geometric and probabilistic, as well as combing the two, to increase the transmission capacity has seen a large number of high quality submissions to this year’s conference, so there will be separate sessions dedicated to these approaches. There has also been a lot of activity in FEC coding and decoding approaches especially with the recently standardised staircase codes, which will also be discussed. SC4 – Transmission Subsystems and Optical Network Elements Here, a recurring topic is the use of SDM technologies. Several varieties of SDM will be investigated including: OAM, MMF and MCF. Another important topic is the industry’s e ort to increase per-channel data rates using advanced modulation and receiver techniques. This subject also includes advances within driver ICs reducing power consumption and increasing performance.
is coming to light. End-to-end control and orchestration of network resources according to service demands are gradually becoming the new industry normal. These trends are facilitated by new opportunities o ered by machine learning and artificial intelligence.” Located this year in Gothenburg, ECOC returns to Sweden for the first time since 2004, when it was in Stockholm. The host city is the gateway to Western Sweden, and considered by many to be the most interesting and varied of the country’s cities, has a reputation for friendliness and hospitality. It is famously said to o er all the necessities of a cosmopolitan city – only condensed and with everything within walking distance. Dr. Per Andersson, General Chair of ECOC 2017, told Optical Connections, “Sweden is well known for its progressive approach to sustainability, innovation and equality, and the city of Gothenburg is no exception. This year’s conference will be environmentally certified, with even the associated air travel being climate- compensated for by a Green Sponsor. “We look forward to welcoming delegates from all around the world to this amazing region,” added Dr. Andersson. The ECOC Conference is organised jointly by Chalmers University of Technology, RISE Acreo, and the Technical University of Denmark, with Ericsson and Telia Company as guarantors. CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS (By subcommittee topics) SC1 – Fibres, Fibre Devices and Fibre Amplifiers In general, there is a continued e ort across the industry to develop space division multiplexing using multicore and few-mode fibres, highlighting increased amplifier e ciency, extended wavelength range, reduced crosstalk as well as novel and improved components. Other trends include broadband amplifiers in
By Matthew Peach
T his year’s ECOC Conference brings industry leaders and delegates to Gothenburg, Sweden’s home of innovation, where the latest breakthroughs and cutting- edge technology in the field of optical communications will be presented to the expected 5,000-strong crowd. This year’s conference at the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre is, as usual, co-located with the sold-out ECOC Exhibition. The organizers believe that 2017 will be an exciting year for this conference, with submissions of research reaching significant conclusions regarding the future of optical networking and 5G access, of which, more below. Hot topics for 2017 – to name just a few – include fibre devices and amplifiers, integrated systems and optical processing, digital techniques for optical comms, transmission subsystems and network elements, datacom hardware, point-to- point technologies, data centres, and metro, access and indoor networks. Dr. Sebastien Bigo, Head of the Networks Subcommittee, says, “This year’s conference agenda confirms that the days of build-and-forget optical networks are numbered. A new symbiosis of 5G access and data centres with optical technologies
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| ISSUE 10 | Q3 2017
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