Infinera Corporation
INDEPENDENTLY ROUTABLE DIGITAL SUBCARRIERS WITH CONFIGURABLE SPACING FOR OPTICAL COMMUNICATION NETWORKS

Abstract:

Optical network systems and components are disclosed, including a transmitter comprising a digital signal processor receiving a plurality of independent data streams, and supplying a plurality of digital subcarrier outputs, based on the plurality of independent data streams, and configurable to vary the frequency spacing between two or more of the plurality of digital subcarrier outputs; the transmitter configured to output a modulated optical signal including a plurality of optical subcarriers based on the digital subcarrier outputs wherein based on first ones of the plurality of digital outputs, the first one of the plurality of subcarriers is spectrally spaced from the second one of the plurality subcarriers by a first gap, and based on second ones of the plurality of digital outputs, the first one of the plurality of subcarriers is spectrally spaced from the second one of the plurality of subcarriers by a second gap different than the first.