Multi-wavelength transponders for high-capacity optical networks: a physical-layer-aware network planning study

Continued cost- and power-efficient capacity scaling in optical networks is imperative to keep pace with ever-increasing traffic demands. In this paper, we investigate multi-wavelength transponders as a potential way forward. Suitable system architectures and realistic specifications of multi-wavelength transponders are identified and analyzed in terms of transmit optical signal-to-noise ratio penalties and spectral constraints. We investigate the performance for different specifications as compared to single-wavelength transponders in a network planning study on two network topologies, developing guidelines for multi-wavelength transponder specifications and their potential benefits. The studies show a reduction in the number of required lasers of up to 83% at the expense of a slight increase in the number of lightpaths, demonstrating the potential for significant cost savings and efficiency improvements. (C) 2023 Optica Publishing Group