NEC Laboratories America

Optical Communications & Computing

From forward-looking theoretical studies to cutting-edge experiments to world- and industry-first technology field trials, we deliver globally recognized innovation in optical communications and computing that looks into the future and translates it into present reality.

From the Internet backbone to the data center floor, optics and photonics form the foundation of modern communications and computing infrastructure. As global data demand accelerates, optical communications and computing technologies must evolve together to keep pace. Our department advances the science of high-capacity optical transmission alongside emerging photonic computing architectures, delivering research that spans theoretical modeling, laboratory experimentation, and real-world field trials.

The advent of AI-centric data networking combined with growing demand for globally connected, always-on networks is pushing optical communication systems toward new limits. Our researchers develop coherent optical transmission techniques, agile digital signal processing (DSP) approaches, and software-defined optical networking architectures, including optical line system telemetry, network digital twins, and automation through agentic AI. These innovations expand transmission capacity and extend network reach in traditional fiber links and satellite optical communications, while giving operators the flexibility to support dynamic networking environments such as AI-compute infrastructures and augmented reality (AR)/virtual reality (VR) applications.

Beyond transmission, we explore how photonic and optical computing principles can address the growing energy and latency demands of AI workloads. Our work in high-speed optical signal processing and RF spectral sensing implemented on photonic integrated chips, together with forward-looking research in photonic AI, extends the reach of optical technology from the network core into computing architectures themselves.

Optical communications and computing will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of connectivity, data processing, and AI infrastructure across industries.

Join Us

Are you interested in joining us? We are looking for the next generation of thought leaders in optical communications and computing to join our research team. If you are pursuing a career in this field, visit our careers page to learn more and apply for our available positions.

Summer 2026 Internship Applications are now closed.

Exciting internship opportunities for Summer 2027 will be available on our internship page this fall.  We are looking for students pursuing advanced degrees in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. Internships are typically 3 months long during the summer. The benefits of working for us include the opportunity to quickly join a project team applying cutting-edge technology to industry-leading concepts.

To apply for a Summer Internship, visit our Internship page.

Learn More

Want to learn more about our optical communications and computing department? Meet our team of experts, check out our blog posts, or read our latest publications.

Featured Optical Communications & Computing Research Projects

Latest Optical Communications & Computing News

Statistical Assessment of System Margin in Metro Networks Impaired by PDL

We experimentally justify the need of analyzing stochastic PDL insertion inboptical metro network nodes. Consequently, we assess conservative OSNR margin comparingdifferent approaches to the case with maxwellian-distributed PDL, through Monte Carlo simulation.

Strain Accumulation Rate in Fiber Spools in the Presence of Ambient Acoustic Noise in Laser Phase Interferometry

We investigate the growth rate of phase power spectral density in fiber spools in the presence of ambient acoustic noise, observing a complex interplay between spool geometry, shielding effects, and phase cancellation at high acoustic frequencies.

Underwater Acoustic OFDM Transmission over Optical Fiber with Distributed Acoustic Sensing

We demonstrate fiber-optic acoustic data transmission using distributed acoustic sensing technology in an underwater environment. An acoustic orthogonal frequencydivisionmultiplexing (OFDM) signal transmitted through a fiber-optic cable deployed in a standard 40-meter-scale underwater testbed.

Variable Temperature and Pump Power Semi-Analytical Gain Model for GFF-Embedded Single-Stage EDFAs

A simple and accurate semi-analytical model for predicting the gain of a single-stage erbium-doped fiber amplifier embedded with an unknown gain flattening filter is proposed for precise system equalization that is crucial for submarine systems.

A Smart Sensing Grid for Road Traffic Detection Using Terrestrial Optical Networks and Attention-Enhanced Bi-LSTM

We demonstrate the use of existing terrestrial optical networks as a smart sensing grid, employing a bidirectional long short-term memory (Bi-LSTM) model enhanced with an attention mechanism to detect road vehicles. The main idea of our approach is to deploy a fast, accurate and reliable trained deep

400-Gb/s mode division multiplexing-based bidirectional free space optical communication in real-time with commercial transponders

In this work, for the first time, we experimentally demonstrate mode division multiplexing-based bidirectional free space optical communication in real-time using commercial transponders. As proof of concept, via bidirectional pairs of Hermite-Gaussian modes (HG00, HG10, and HG01), using a Telecom Infra