Ting Wang NEC Labs America

Ting Wang

Department Head

Optical Networking & Sensing

Posts

Optical Link Tomography: First Field Trial and 4D Extension

Optical link tomography (OLT) is a rapidly evolving field that allows the multi-span, end-to-end visualization of optical power along fiber links in multiple dimensions from network endpoints, solely by processing signals received at coherent receivers. This paper has two objectives: (1) to report the first field trial of OLT, using a commercial transponder under standard DWDM transmission, and (2) to extend its capability to visualize across 4D (distance, time, frequency, and polarization), allowing for locating and measuring multiple QoT degradation causes, including time-varying power anomalies, spectral anomalies, and excessive polarization dependent loss. We also address a critical aspect of OLT, i.e., its need for high fiber launch power, by improving power profile signal-to-noise ratio through averaging across all available dimensions. Consequently, multiple loss anomalies in a field-deployed link are observed even at launch power lower than the system-optimal level. The applications and use cases of OLT from network commissioning to provisioning and operation for current and near-term network scenarios are also discussed.

Neuromorphic Photonics-Enabled Near-Field RF Sensing with Residual Signal Recovery and Classification

We present near-field radio-frequency (RF) sensing using microwave photonic canceler (MPC) for residual signal recovery and neuromorphic photonic recurrent neural network (PRNN)chip and FPGA hardware to implement machine learning for high-bandwidth and low-latency classification.

Eric Blow Presents at the IEEE Photonics Conference Singapore on November 10th & 13th

Eric Blow of NEC Labs will address how machine-learning methods applied to distributed acoustic-sensing data can monitor facility perimeters and detect intrusion via walk, dig, or drive events over buried optical fibre—for example achieving ~90% classification accuracy.

Computation Stability Tracking Using Data Anchors for Fiber Rayleigh-based Nonlinear Random Projection System

We introduce anchor vectors to monitor Rayleigh-backscattering variability in a fiber-optic computing system that performs nonlinear random projection for image classification. With a ~0.4-s calibration interval, system stability can be maintained with a linear decoder, achieving an average accuracy of 80%-90%.

End-to-End AI for Distributed Fiber Optics Sensing: Eliminating Intermediate Processing via Raw Data Learning

For the first time, we present an end-to-end AI framework for data analysis in distributed fiber optic sensing. The proposed model eliminates the need for optical phase computation and outperforms traditional data processing pipelines, achieving over 96% recognition accuracy on a diverse acoustic dataset.

Energy-based Generative Models for Distributed Acoustic Sensing Event Classification in Telecom Networks

Distributed fiber-optic sensing combined with machine learning enables continuous monitoring of telecom infrastructure. We employ generative modeling for event classification, supporting semi­ supervised learning, uncertainty calibration, and noise resilience. Our approach offers a scalable, data-efficient solution for real-world deployment in complex environments.

Observing the Worst- and Best-Case Line-System Transmission Conditions in a C-Band Variable Spectral Load Scenario

We experimentally investigated variable spectral loading in an OMS, identifying performance under best and worst transmission conditions. Metrics and data visualization allowed correlation between channel configurations and OSNR variations, enabling the derivation of a simple spectrum allocation rule.

Utilizing Distributed Acoustic Sensing with Telecom Fibers for Entomological Observations

The 2021 emergence of Brood X cicadas was monitored in situ in our testbed using a DAS system connected to an outdoor telecom fiber over a 16-day period. The spectral and energy characteristics of the cicada calling signal has been measured and analyzed.

200km-Sensing-Range Distributed Acoustic Sensor Link using Enhanced Scattering Fibers

We report a record long 200.6 km distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) link without inline ampli-fication, 28.6% improvement of sensing range has been achieved by using three segments of enhanced-scattering fibre (ESF) with progressively higher scattering enhancements.

Integration of Fiber Optic Sensing and Sparse Grid Sensors for Accurate Fault Localization in Distribution Systems

Fault localization in power distribution networks is essential for rapid recovery and enhancing system resilience. While Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs or ?PMUs) providehigh-resolution measurements for precise fault localization, their widespread deployment is cost-prohibitive. Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing (DFOS) offers a promising alternative for event detection along power lines using collocated optical fiber; however, it cannot independently differentiate between events and pinpoint exact fault locations. This paper introduces an innovative framework that combines DFOS with sparsely deployed PMUs for accurate fault localization. The proposed approach first utilizes a Graph Attention Network (GAT) model to capture spatial and temporal correlations from synchronized PMU and DFOS measurements, effectively identifying fault zones. High-spatial- resolution DFOS measurements further refine the fault locationwithin the identified zone. Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) is applied to extract feature vectors from DFOS measurements, enhancing the convergence speed of the GAT model. Thisintegrated solution significantly improves localization accuracy while minimizing reliance on extensive deployment of PMUs.