From forward-looking theoretical studies to cutting-edge experiments to world- and industry-first technology field trials, we deliver globally recognized innovation that looks into the future and translates it into present reality.
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From the Internet backbone to the home, optics and photonics form the foundation of modern ICT infrastructure. From forward-looking theoretical studies to cutting-edge experiments to world- and industry-first technology field trials, we deliver globally recognized innovation that looks into the future and translates it into present reality.
Optical networking and sensing technologies are set to undergo transformative developments. In optical networking, the widespread deployment of 5G and beyond, coupled with the increasing demand for global-scale ubiquitous networks, will drive the adoption of advanced optical communication technologies like coherent optical transmission and software-defined optical networking. These technologies will enable higher data transmission bandwidth, reduced latency, and improved network efficiency, which are critical for supporting emerging applications such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and the Internet of Things (IoT).
On the sensing front, there will be significant advancements in optical sensing techniques, particularly in safety and security, infrastructure and environmental monitoring, and smart city and smart manufacturing. Miniaturized and more affordable optical sensors will find new applications in smart city and intelligent networks, while AI-enabled sensing analytics will revolutionize event diagnosis and automated response. Optical networking and sensing will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of connectivity and data-driven decision-making across various industries.
Want to learn more about our optical networking and sensing department? Meet our team of experts, check out our blog posts, or read our latest publications.
Are you interested in joining us? We seek the next generation of thought leaders in optical networking for researcher positions. Outstanding applicants pursuing a career in all areas of optical networking are encouraged to visit our careers page to learn more and to apply for our available positions.
Applications for Summer 2025 Internships will open later this year. Visit our Internship page to learn more about our intern programs.
With exponential traffic growth projected from mobile and cloud applications, optical networks powering the Internet backbone will require orders-of-magnitude transmission capacity gains. At the core of our innovation in this area are agile digital signal processing (DSP)-based approaches, including digital Nyquist spectral shaping, DSP-based nonlinearity compensation and advanced soft-decision forward error correction (FEC) that optimize spectrum utilization, maximize transmission reach and provide data rate flexibility.
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After setting the standing 100Tb/s world record for the transmission capacity of a single-mode optical fiber deployed in current networks, we are now leading a forward-looking investigation of the transmission-capacity potential of multidimensional optical processing and coded modulation in space division multiplexed (SDM) optical transmission systems, wherein different spatial modes in a single fiber can be used as parallel data channels to increase aggregate transmission capacity.
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The high-speed, high-precision, energy-efficient nature of optics and photonics makes it ideally suited for next-generation ICT-based social solutions that drive societal well-being and efficiency. With our world-leading academic partners, we are investigating state-of-the-art optics and photonics for social value innovations, including safety and security solutions and environmental sensing.
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