Ezra Ip NEC Labs America

Ezra Ip

Senior Researcher

Optical Networking & Sensing

Posts

First Field Demonstration of Automatic WDM Optical Path Provisioning over Alien Access Links for Data Center Exchange

We demonstrated under six minutes automatic provisioning of optical paths over field- deployed alien access links and WDM carrier links using commercial-grade ROADMs, whitebox mux-ponders, and multi-vendor transceivers. With channel probing, transfer learning, and Gaussian noise model, we achieved an estimation error (Q-factor) below 0.7 dB

Field Trial of Coexistence and Simultaneous Switching of Real-time Fiber Sensing and 400GbE Supporting DCI and 5G Mobile Services

Coexistence of real-time constant-amplitude distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) and 400GbE signals is verified by field trial over metro fibers, demonstrating no QoT impact during co-propagation and supporting preemptive DAS-informed optical path switching before link failure

DAS over 1,007-km Hybrid Link with 10-Tb/s DP-16QAM Co-propagation using Frequency-Diverse Chirped Pulses

We report the first distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) experiment with over >1,000 km reach on a hybrid link comprising of a mixture of field and lab fibers with bi-directional inline Raman amplification after each span. We used 20× frequency-diversity chirped-pulses for the probe signal,and recovered the Rayleigh backscatter using a coherent receiver with correlation detection and diversity combining. A measurand resolution of ∼100 pϵ/√ Hz at a gauge length of 20 meters achieved in the offline experiment. We also demonstrate the first real-time FPGA implementation of chirped-pulse DAS without frequency diversity over a range of 210 km.

Using Global Fiber Networks for Environmental Sensing

We review recent advances in distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS) and their applications. The scattering mechanisms in glass, which are exploited for reflectometry-based DFOS, are Rayleigh, Brillouin, and Raman scatterings. These are sensitive to either strain and/or temperature, allowing optical fiber cables to monitor their ambient environment in addition to their conventional role as a medium for telecommunications. Recently, DFOS leveraged technologies developed for telecommunications, such as coherent detection, digital signal processing, coding, and spatial/frequency diversity, to achieve improved performance in terms of measurand resolution, reach, spatial resolution, and bandwidth. We review the theory and architecture of commonly used DFOS methods. We provide recent experimental and field trial results where DFOS was used in wide-ranging applications, such as geohazard monitoring, seismic monitoring, traffic monitoring, and infrastructure health monitoring. Events of interest often have unique signatures either in the spatial, temporal, frequency, or wavenumber domains. Based on the temperature and strain raw data obtained from DFOS, downstream postprocessing allows the detection, classification, and localization of events. Combining DFOS with machine learning methods, it is possible to realize complete sensor systems that are compact, low cost, and can operate in harsh environments and difficult-to-access locations, facilitating increased public safety and smarter cities.

Distributed Optical Fiber Sensing Using Specialty Optical Fibers

Distributed fiber optic sensing systems use long section of optical fiber as the sensing media. Therefore, the fiber characteristics determines the sensing capability and performance. In this presentation, various types of specialty optical fibers and their sensing applications will be introduced and discussed.

Simultaneous Sensing and Communication in Optical Fibers

We explore two fiber sensing methods which enables coexistence with data transmission on DWDM fiber networks. Vibration detection and localization can be achieved by extracting optical phase from modified coherent transponders. Frequency-diverse chirped-pulse DAS with all-Raman amplification can improve SNR and achieves multi-span monitoring.

Evolution of Fiber Infrastructure – From Data Transmission to Network Sensing

We review multiple use cases over deployed networks including co-existing sensing/data transmission, cable cut prevention and perimeter intrusion detection to realize telecom infrastructure can be sensing backbones instead of the sole function of data transmission.

Simultaneous Fiber Sensing and Communications

We review recent advances aimed at increasing the reach of distributed fiber optic sensing with simultaneous data transmission. We review two methods based on measurement of accumulated phase on telecom signals, and chirp-pulsed DAS with inline amplification and frequency diversity.

DAS over 1,007-km Hybrid Link with 10-Tb/s DP-16QAM Co-propagation using Frequency-Diverse Chirped Pulses (OFC)

We report the first distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) results over>1,000 km on a field-lab hybrid link using chirped-pulses with correlation detection and 20× frequency-diversity, achieving a sensitivity of 100 pa/√Hz at 20-meters spatial resolution.

Distributed Acoustic Sensing for Datacenter Optical Interconnects using Self-Homodyne Coherent Detection

We demonstrate distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) over a bidirectional datacenter link which uses self-homodyne coherent detection for the data signal. Frequency multiplexing allows sharing the optoelectronic hardware, and enables DAS as an auxiliary function.