title: Semi-empirical system scaling rules for DWDM system design.
abstract: Recently, several theoretical papers have derived relationships for fiber-optic transmission system performance in terms of associated physical layer parameters. At the same time, a large number of detailed experiments have been and continue being performed that demonstrate increasing capacities and unregenerated reach. We use this wealth of experimental data to validate the aforementioned relationships, and to propose a set of simple scaling rules for performance. We find that, despite substantial differences in experimental configurations, overall performance in terms of spectral efficiency and unregenerated reach is well explained by scaling rules. These scaling rules will be useful to carriers seeking to understand what they should expect to see in terms of network performance using deployed or easily accessible technology, which may be radically different from hero experiment results. These rules will also be useful to design engineers seeking cost effective tradeoffs to achieving higher performance using realistic upgrade strategies, and what might be encountered as a fundamental limit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Defense, Washington, DC, USA. demuth.brian@ieee.org
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: DeMuth
authors.forename: Michael Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Frankel
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pelekhaty
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003198:Computer Simulation; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008027:Light; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013685:Telecommunications / Q000295:instrumentation*