Optical Link Bandwidth via Power Level Multiplexing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current optical communication systems face limitations in bandwidth utilization, particularly with WDM, as they do not efficiently utilize the available bandwidth, leading to the need for additional fibers and increased costs, and existing amplitude modulation and digital domain power division multiplexing schemes suffer from interference and complex decoding processes.
Innovation Solution
The use of multiple light sources transmitting at different power levels on the same wavelength, with a receiver employing detection models like Poisson probability distributions to differentiate between streams, allowing for simultaneous transmission of multiple data streams on a single optical link without requiring remodulation or successive interference cancellation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If WDM is used to increase bandwidth utilization, then more channels can be transmitted, but the system complexity and cost increase due to need for additional fibers and infrastructure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple data streams onto a single optical fiber by using multiple light sources transmitting at different power levels on the same wavelength. This combines the functionality of multiple channels into one physical medium, increasing bandwidth utilization without requiring additional fibers or infrastructure, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the power level parameter of light sources to differentiate between multiple data streams. By transmitting at different power levels (e.g., high and low power levels corresponding to binary states), the system can distinguish multiple streams on the same wavelength without requiring additional frequency or spatial resources, thereby improving bandwidth utilization while maintaining system simplicity
2Productivity
If amplitude modulation is used to transmit multiple streams, then bandwidth can be increased, but interference between streams occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional amplitude modulation mechanical system with a probabilistic detection model. Instead of using complex modulation schemes that are prone to interference, the invention uses simple on/off keying with different power levels and applies Poisson probability distributions to detect and differentiate streams at the receiver, eliminating interference issues while maintaining increased bandwidth capacity
3Productivity
If digital domain power division multiplexing is used to increase bandwidth, then more data can be transmitted, but the decoding process becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the complexity from the transmission medium and places it in the detection algorithm. By using simple power level differentiation at the transmitter and applying pre-calculated Poisson probability models at the receiver, the system achieves high data transmission capacity without complex real-time decoding, as the detection models are determined offline based on measured average photon counts
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly increases bandwidth utilization, allowing multiple streams to be transmitted on a single channel, doubling or tripling the bandwidth, and simplifies the decoding process, reducing hardware and software complexity while adapting to interference and transmitter aging.
Implementation Method 1
multiple light sources selectively activated to transmit respective data streams on a same wavelength
Implementation Method 2
a receiver which employs a photon detection module to detect the light signals
Implementation Method 3
a receiver employing detection models, such as Poisson probability distributions, to differentiate between streams
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed in some examples, are optical devices, systems, and machine-readable mediums that send and receive multiple streams of data across a same optical communication path (e.g., a same fiber optic fiber) with a same wavelength using different light sources transmitting at different power levels - thereby increasing the bandwidth of each optical communication path. Each light source corresponding to each stream transmits at a same frequency and on the same optical communication path using a different power level. The receiver differentiates the data for each stream by applying one or more detection models to the photon counts observed at the receiver to determine likely bit assignments for each stream.