1

400 Gbit/s 256-QAM OFDM Transmission

over 720 km with a 14 bit/s/hz spectral
efficiency by using high-resolution FDE
Maria Aftab Kiyani1, Musa Faisal1, Dr. Farhan Qamar1,

1
Department of Computer Engineering, UET Taxila, 47050, Pakistan
Abstract— result. Afterward, each of the five An IQ modulator (IQM)
was used to modulate the sidebands of the MZM using an
Index Terms— Differential Phase Shift Keying, Free-Space OFDM signal produced by an arbitrary waveform generator
Optical, Performance metrics, System Analysis, high-speed wireless (AWG) at a sampling rate of 12 Gsample/s.
communication, System Output Fast Fourier transform (FFT) and FDE were used by the
AWGs to create the OFDM baseband signals [5-7]. The
parameters of the OFDM signal are displayed in Table 1. For
I. INTRODUCTION each 2.59 GHz channel, the data rate was 2 × 8 x 1714 x 1.465

T o High-spectral-efficiency optical transmission using

multilevel modulation formats has attracted a lot of
research interest in order to address the continually growing
Mbaud, or 40 Gbit/s (38.8 Gbit/s with the training symbol and
guard period included). The achieved SE was 14 bit/s/Hz after
accounting for a 7% FEC overhead.
capacity requirement in optical fibre communications [1].
Division via coherent optically orthogonal frequency
To attain a spectral efficiency (SE) greater than 10 bit/s/Hz,
multiplexing (OFDM) with higher-level QAM subcarrier
modulation has been used [2,3]. As an illustration, a 235.1 Gbit/s
OFDM transmission across 800 km was accomplished with a SE
of 11.15 bit/s/Hz, resulting in a SE-distance product of 8,920
kmbit/s/Hz [2].
By using distortion compensation techniques such frequency
domain equalisation (FDE) and digital back-propagation
(DBP), we previously reported a 400 Gbit/s, 256 QAM-
OFDM 400 km transmission with a SE of 14 bit/s/Hz [3]. The
greatest transmission reach at a SE of 14 bit/s/Hz is 720
kilometres, and in this study, we successfully expand the
distance up to that number. We also significantly improve the
frequency resolution of FDE. In order to support the validity
of the experimental findings on enhanced transmission
performance with waveform distortion compensation systems,
we also use numerical analysis.

II. EXPERIMENTAL SETUP FOR 400 GBIT/S 256 QAM-OFDM

TRANSMISSION FSO
The experimental setup for a 400 Gbit/s polarisation- and
frequency-division-multiplexed 256 QAM-OFDM
transmission is shown in Figure 1. An optical fibre laser with
C2H2 frequency stabilisation served as the transmitter's
optical source [4]. One of the two routes from the laser's
output was connected to a multi-carrier generator made
consisting of two Mach-Zehnder modulators (MZM) and an
optical frequency shifter (OFS1). A 5.18 GHz sinusoidal
signal was used to drive each MZM, and five sidebands were
produced. Against the initial frequency f0, OFS1 supplied a
2.59 GHz frequency downshift. The multi-carrier generator
produced 10 optical sidebands separated at 2.59 GHz as a

1- Experimental setup for 400 Gbit/s frequency-division-multiplexed and polarization-division multiplexed 256 QAM-
OFDM transmission.
Table 1. Parameters of the OFDM Signal
The two 5-channel OFDM signals were combined with an
optical fiber after data modulation. Coupled with a
polarization beam combiner (PBC), and then polarization
multiplexed. The other channel from the laser output led to
OFS2, which provided f0 with a 1.3 GHz frequency
downshift. This signal served as the pilot tone signal necessary
for the local oscillator's (LO) optical phase tracking under
optical PLL operation [8]. One of the two polarization axes of
the OFDM signal was lined up with the polarization of the
pilot signal. The transmission connection was made up of nine
80-km-long spans of SSMF, and erbium-doped fiber
amplifiers (EDFAs) and Raman amplifiers were used to make
up for the loss of 0.2 dB/km on each span. A 13 dB signal
boost was provided by the Raman amplifier. The pilot signal's
power was adjusted to be 6 dB less powerful than the
combined power of the 10-channel OFDM signals. With a 2x8
port 90-degree optical hybrid at the receiver, the OFDM signal
was homodyne-detected using a LO signal from a frequency-
tunable tracking fiber laser whose phase was locked to the
pilot signal. Due to the A/D converter's limited capacity,
demodulating all channels at once is challenging. So, by
altering the frequency of LO to be set at the channel's center,
we demodulated each channel separately. Figure 1 depicts an
illustration of demodulating ch.6 data. The data were A/D-
2
converted at 20 Gsample/s and post-processed using a digital
signal processor (DSP) in an off-line setting after detection
with four balanced PDs (B-PD). The DBP approach was used
at the DSP to account for both linear and nonlinear fiber
impairments [9–12]. A digital filter was then used to
electronically extract each OFDM band. An FFT was used to
demodulate the OFDM signal, and the result was a binary data
stream.
By raising the FFT size for FDE operation while keeping the
FFT size for the OFDM signal fixed in the current instance,
we significantly improved the equalization capability of FDE
and increased the FDE resolution of each subcarrier. N is
defined as the quantity of points for each subcarrier in the
frequency domain, and Figure 2 depicts the schematic
arrangement of the FDE for N = 1 and 2. A typical FDE
applies in the situation of N = 1.
The frequency resolution can be doubled by operating the FFT
for a duration that is twice as long as the symbol period.
Figure 3 displays the FDE performance outcomes for N = 1 32
when the FFT size of the OFDM signal was produced with a
back-to-back 256 QAM-OFDM signal.
EVM was steadily improved to 0.82% at N = 16 as N
increased. When N = 1 and 16, the back-to-back constellations
are depicted in Figures 4(a) and 4(b). The EVM improvement
 3

was saturated for N > 16, hence 16 was chosen as the ideal N
value. The frequency resolution was 91.5 kHz when N = 16.
Figure 5 displays the back-to-back BER performance as a
function of OSNR. With the FDE enhancement, the power
penalty at a BER of 2 x 103 was reduced by 1 dB.
 4

Fig. 2. Schematic configuration of FDE.

Fig. 3. Relation between N and EVM.

Fig. 4. Constellations for 256 QAM-OFDM signals. (a) N = 1, (b) N = 16

Fig. 5. BER performance as a function of the OSNR under the back-to-back condition
 5

III. SYSTEM DESIGN

IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The optical spectra of an OFDM signal are shown in Figures
6(a) and 6(b) before and after a 720 km transmission with a
fibre launched power of 2 dBm. The residual harmonic
components on both sides of Fig. 6(a) were less than 32 dB.
With a resolution of 0.1 nm, the optical signal-to-noise ratios
(OSNR) before and after the 720 km transmission were 39
and 29.3 dB, respectively. The measured OSNR values are
depicted in Figure 7 as a function of transmission distance.
After a 720 km transmission, Figure 8 displays the single
side-band noise power spectrum of a heterodyne beat note
Fig. 8. Single side-band (SSB) noise power spectrum of a
between the LO and the pilot tone. Phase noise was
heterodyne beat note between an LO and a pilot tone after a
calculated to be 0.4 degrees instead of 0.3 degrees before
720 km transmission.
transmission by integrating this spectrum. The phase noise of
an IF signal is depicted as a function of transmission distance
in Figure 9. The OSNR degradation was the primary cause
of this small rise in phase noise. The phase gap between the
two closest symbols, on the other hand, gave 256 QAM's
phase tolerance of 2.04 degrees. This suggests that even after
a 720 km gearbox, the OPLL was able to successfully
achieve a phase noise level that was enough below the phase
tolerance for 256 QAM.

Fig. 9. Phase noise as a function of transmission distance.

The measured BER of channel 6 after a 720 km transmission

for various fibre launching powers is shown in Figure 10(a).
Fig. 6. Optical spectra of OFDM signal, (a) back-to-back, (b)
The BER was below the FEC limit because to the optimal
after 720 km transmission.
launching power of 2 dBm. Fig. 10(b) shows the
constellation diagrams plotted. After the 720 km
transmission, the EVM increased from 0.82 to 1.79%,
primarily as a result of OSNR degradation.

Fig. 7. OSNR values as a function of transmission distance.


Fig. 10. (a) BER after 720 km transmission as a function of
fiber launched power and (b) constellations for 256 QAM-
OFDM signals after a 720 km transmission for a −2 dBm
transmission power.
The observed BER for each channel following a 720 km
transmission with DBP and average individual dispersion
SPM adjustment is shown in Figure 11. BER is cut in half
when the DBP with XPM compensation is used.
Fig. 11. BER after 720 km transmission for each channel.
6
At the highest received power (8 dBm), Figures 12(a) and
12(b), respectively, show the BER performance as a function
of the received power and the transmission distance. After
transmissions of 320, 640, and 720 km, the power penalty at
a BER of 2 x 103 was 2, 5, and 15 dB, respectively. Plotting
the BER achieved with and without the FDE enhancement
(N = 1 and 16, respectively) is shown in Fig. 12(b). As
demonstrated in Fig. 5, where BER at the OSNR of 29.3 dB
was lowered to 1.0 x 103 with the FDE enhancement, the
transmission distance with a BER below the FEC threshold
(2 x 103) was increased from 560 to 720 km. The present
result corresponds to an SE-product of 10,080 km·bit/s/Hz.
Fig. 12. BER performances as a function of (a) received
power and (b) transmission distance.
V. CONCLUSION
By using a brand-new, high-resolution FDE approach, we
were able to successfully demonstrate a 400 Gbit/s 256
QAM-OFDM transmission across 720 km with a 14 bit/s/Hz
SE. In order to compare the experimental results in terms of
the enhancement of transmission performance by distortion
correction techniques, we also employed numerical analysis.
The numerical outcomes demonstrate that the ENOB of the
A/D converter has a significant impact on the ability to
compensate for DBP.
 7

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