PYL770: ULTRA-FAST OPTICS TERM PAPER

Coherent Optical communications using coherence-cloned

Kerr soliton micro combs
KESHAV(2022JOP2591)
MTech student, Optoelectronics and Optical Communication, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
*jop222591@iitd.ac.in

Abstract: Coherent communication systems promptly replace traditional optical

communication systems due to their excellent intensity and phase modulation results. Using an
Independent laser as a receiver and transmitter in coherent optical communication systems
complicates their coherence. Frequency combs are employed as a steadier source in terms of
phase and frequency to get around this issue.
This paper attempts to resolve this problem by cloning the frequency from dissipative Kerr
soliton micro combs for the transmitter and receiver. This paper demonstrated frequency
cloning and two-point locking between the transmitter and receiver to show terabit coherent
communication across a distance of 50 kilometers. In addition, our paper also discusses the
superiority of this technology in terms of power consumption, trivialness, and performance by
controlling the frequency and phase.

1. Introduction
The data capacity and signal-to-noise ratio of our existing communication methods are
constrained by our ability to vary intensity (SNR) solely. The best solution to the issue is
undoubtedly coherent communications networks. Both the intensity and the phase can be
modulated in optical communication systems. This offers us the opportunity to encode the data
throughout all steps. The optical communication system also boosts capacity using coherent
modulation techniques like PSK, FSK, & ASK. Using temporal interferometry, phases are
found in an optical communication system. In this temporal interferometry, a coherent receiver
detects current, which is a combination of a local oscillator and an incoming signal. One needs
to establish a strong mutual coherence between these two signals. However, using independent
lasers for both signals reduce the mutual coherence between the carrier and local oscillators
[1]. Still, many commercial systems use independent lasers for carrier and local oscillators,
which costs us more power and digital processing to determine the ambiguity of phases and
frequency, as shown in Fig (1a).
One solution to this issue is to lock the phases of the signals or use the idea of frequency
cloning. This paper addresses the above issue and proposes the Kerr solitons micro combs for
phase closing the laser tones as shown in Fig (1b). These combs have an excellent capability
for data channels, as shown in Fig (1b). Combs have various types, like mode-locked fiber laser
combs, modulating combs, dissipative Kerr combs, etc.[2] This paper involves a dissipative
Kerr soliton micro comb per the application requirements. DKS is proved very reliable in
coherent communication due to its exceptional features of better steadiness, large frequency
spacing, and better SWaP.
One may comprehend the idea of micro combs and solitons before getting into the specifics of
the tests. The light pulses are surrounded by solitons, allowing them to travel without being
affected by dispersion. It is produced due to the GVD and nonlinearity coexisting in harmony.
On the other hand, frequency combs are a collection of created frequencies that are evenly
spaced[3]. A CW laser is coupled to a microresonator constructed of a Kerr non-linear material
like silica nitrate leads to micro combs due to four-wave mixing. Once the comb is generated,
they are coupled with the Kerr nonlinearity, leading to a soliton called dissipative soliton Kerr
micro comb.
Once the DKS is generated, the second step is to set the central frequency by playing around
with the mode spacing and microresonator geometry. In the third step, one can lock the soliton
modes by matching the soliton phase lines with (Φm where m=1,2,3…) with the phase of the
pump laser (Φ0). After locking the soliton phases, one needs to clone the obtained frequency at
the receiver side with more stabilization and coherence strength using the two-mode locking[4]
mechanism discussed in the upcoming section.

Fig.(1a) Independent laser with weak mutual coherence (1b) locked frequency Combs with higher coherence

Fig.(1c) coherence cloned DKX micro comb over 50 km through SMF

Fig.(1d) Beat note spectra between the CTX and CRx with two-point locking and without two-point locking.

2. Results
2.1 Coherence cloned re-generation of DKS microcomb
This experiment used one CW laser as a pump laser (CTX(0)) of 1550 nm (λpump =1550nm)
having a linewidth of 1-kHz. And two micro rings of material Si3N4 having equal FSR of 100
GHz are used as a microresonator to develop a DKS micro combs CTX (m) towards the
transmitter using the auxiliary heating method[5]. In the following steps, CTX(0) & CTX(m) are
sent to the receiver through a 50km long single fiber. At the receiver end, frequency is cloned
using the CTX(0) and developed CRX (m), as shown in Fig (1c). At this step, the transmitter and
receiver are only locked through one point only due to the central wavelength called one point
locked. One-point locked configuration is exemplary but gives less coherence strength due to
timing jitter and different soliton repetition rates. Two-point locking can be a solution to this
problem.
For two-point locking, we try to establish the phase locking between the 17th line of the
transmitter comb and receiver comb, both using an optical phase lock loop [6] in which we try
to see the phase difference between two comb lines and try to compensate using a reference
clock. Once the transmitter and the receiver are two points locked, the linewidth of this beat
note of the lines till the 17th line (m=5,10,15) are significantly decreased, and Allan deviation
increased as shown in Fig.(1d).
After arranging the two-point locked transmitter and receiver, one needs to observe how these
two-point locked highly coherent micro combs transmit data from one point to another, as
discussed in the upcoming section.
2.2 Coherence data interconnect using coherence-cloned micro combs

2.2.1 Experimental setup: This section discusses the experimental setup shown in Fig (2).
DKS micro combs are used as a transmitter and receiver. Wavelength selective switch
will select the 20 lines of the comb at the transmitter and send it toward the modulator.
16-QAM data is superimposed on comb lines. The 17th channel of the transmitter and
laser line has been sent toward the receiver side through a 50 km fiber. At the receiver
side, CRX is generated and made two-point locked with the transmitter at the 17th comb
line (ignoring the effect of pulse broadening and XPM the 17th channel).

The results of the experimental setup are discussed in the following section. This figure (3)
talks about the SNR and BER of CTX and CRX. This figure also depicts the data sent from
transmitter to receiver with a bit rate of 1.68 Tb/s. With 2-point locking, freq. offset is locked,
and jitter is minimum (<1Hz). One can obtain the freq. offset (ΔfCL) using this trivial equation
ΔfCL = m.fref /17, which is being validated in Fig (4c). This also reveals that the frequency offset
in two-point locking is three times smaller in magnitude than in one-point locking, indicating
that two-point locking uses less DSP and power consumption.

On the other hand, while demodulation, one needs to retrieve the offset between the phase of
the signal and the local oscillator using carrier phase estimation. As seen in Fig (5), two-point
locking has a smaller offset between the phases.

Fig. (2) Experimental setup of optical communication using DKS comb and frequency cloning.
 Fig (3) SNR and BER measurements of different channels

Fig (4a) High OCNR for transmitter comb and receiver comb Fig. (4b) Comparison between the transmitter and receiver spectra with two-
point mode-locking. Fig (4c) Frequency offset estimation for channels with mode locking and without mode-locking.

Fig (5) Phase estimation of CTX and CRX with point locking and without two point locking

3. Conclusion
 Using a single source (frequency combs), as asserted at the beginning of the research,
would result in improved coherence strength and reduced power consumption, resulting
in a terabit data transfer rate with strong BER and SNR, as illustrated in Fig (3).
 We examined the jitter after two-point locking and found that the offset frequency was
significantly decreased, as shown in Figure (4c).
 High OCNR and less frequency offset were achieved for the transmitter comb and
receiver comb, as shown in Fig (4a) and Fig (4b).
 To lessen the frequency offset, we used a two-point locking system. If conventional
DSP were to be used in place, it would theoretically demand a significant amount of
DSP and power consumption.
In conclusion, using the idea of frequency cloning and the creation of DKS micro combs,
this work determined coherence communication over 50 km with 1.68 Tb/s, also by
reducing the offset frequency and phase using a two-point locking method, which reduced
the power consumption and made DSP easier. Two-point locking was also reduced. These
 experiments only include the point-to-point interconnect for smooth transmission of the
pump laser. Until this phase stability and coherence strength is high, it can be a potential
solution for coherence communication with high data rate and capacity.

4. Greatness of the paper as per the writer

Due to their disparate intrinsic and extrinsic properties, independent lasers will always exhibit
weak mutual coherence. One may use a single multitude laser (i.e., DKS combs) and clone the
frequencies from it rather than two independent lasers to overcome this issue. This method has
excelled regarding data capacity, power consumption, DSP, and bit rate. The idea of cloning
and two-point locking, as well as how its adaptable properties decrease the offset between the
phase and frequency and enhance the bit rate and data capacity, fascinated the writers.

5. Shortcomings
 Complexity of the SETUP.
 Broadening due to XPM and other nonlinear effects while transmitting the data from
transmitter to receiver through an SMF.
 Two-point locking is more complex.

6. References
[1] Ip, E., Lau, A. P. T., Barros, D. J. & Kahn, J. M. Coherent detection in optical fiber systems.
Opt. Express 16, 753–791 (2008).
[2] Marin-Palomo, P. et al. Microresonator-based solitons for massively parallel coherent
optical communications. Nature 546, 274–279 (2017).
[3] Chapter 9, Fiber optic communication system, ‘GP Agarwal’ pp-416-419.
[4] Herr, T. et al. Temporal solitons in an optical microresonator. Nat. Photon. 8, 145–152
(2014).
[5] Zhang, S. et al. Sub-milliwatt-level microresonator solitons with extended access range
using an auxiliary laser. Optica 6, 206–212 (2019).
[6] Fortier, T. M. et al. Generation of ultrastable microwaves via optical frequency division.
Nat. Photon. 5, 425–429 (2011).