Optical Subsystems for Next Generation Access Networks (Invited) J. A. Lazaro 1 * OSA member, V. Polo 1 , B. Schrenk 1 , F. Bonada 1 , I. Cano 1 , E. T. Lopez 1 , C. Kazmierski 2 , G. de Valicourt 2 , R. Brenot 2 , J. Bauwelinck 3 , X.-Z. Qiu 3 , P. Ossieur 4 , M. Forzati 5 , P.-J. Rigole 6 , I. T. Monroy 7 , E. Tangdiongga 8 , M. Morant 9 , L. Nicolau 10 , A. L. Teixeira 10 , D. Erasme 11 , D. Klonidis 12 , I. Tomkos 12 OSA member, J. Prat 1 OSA member, C. Kouloumentas 13 , H. Avramopoulos 13 1 Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Dept. TSC, Jordi Girona 1, 08034 Barcelona, Spain (Tel. +34-93-401-7179 / Fax 7200) 2 Alcatel-Thales III-V labs, a joint Laboratory of "Alcatel Lucent Bell Labs" and "Thales Research & Technology" Campus Polytechnique, 1, Avenue A. Fresnel, 91767 Palaiseau cedex, France; 3 INTEC/IMEC-Ghent University, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 41, B-9000 Gent, Belgium; 4 Tyndall National Institute & University College Cork, Ireland; 5 Networking and Transmission Laboratory, Acreo AB, Kista S-164 40, Sweden; 6 IGNIS, Torshamnsgatan, 30A, Kista 164 40, Sweden; 7 Danmarks Tekniske Universitet (DTU), Denmark; 8 Technische Universiteit Eindhoven(TU/e), The Netherlands; 9 Nanophotonics Technology Centre, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Spain; 10 Institute of Telecommunications (IT), Portugal; 11 Institut Télécom, France; 12 Athens Information Technology (AIT), Peania, Athens, Greece; 13 School of Electrical & Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 9 Iroon Polytechniou, Zografou, 15773 Athens, Greece. *Corresponding author: jose.lazaro@tsc.upc.edu Abstract: Recent optical technologies are providing higher flexibility to next generation access networks: on the one hand, providing progressive FTTx and specifically FTTH deployment, progressively shortening the copper access network; on the other hand, also opening fixed-mobile convergence solutions in next generation PON architectures. It is provided an overview of the optical subsystems developed for the implementation of the proposed NG-Access Networks. OCIS codes: (060.2330) Fiber optics communications; (060.2360) Fiber optics links and subsystems 1. Introduction Extending fiber reach to the final user has been always interesting for the telecommunication operators. Nevertheless, fiber deployment closer to the customer was not the best cost-effective option till 2005-2007 [1]. Since then, the progress in optical technologies, bringing down the component and system cost, coupled with broad- bandwidth demands from triple-play and new services, have been motivating telecommunication companies and cable system operators to deploy a full set of Fiber-To-The-X architectures (FTTx) that commonly refers to Fiber- To-The Node (FTTN), Fiber-To-The-Curb (FTTC), Fiber-To-The Business / Building (FTTB), and finally arriving to the customer: Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH), and Fiber-To-The-Premises (FTTP) [2]. And during most recent years, fiber is been proposed for fiber in the home (FITH) access networks, by RoF techniques using POF or MMFs. Taking into account also energy consumption trends in Next Generation Access Networks (NG-AN), telecommunication companies are proposing FTTx architectures with minimized consumption minimization for a sustainable FTTx deployment [3], where, Passive Optical Networks (PON) and specially next generation PONs show a higher power efficiency [4]. Finally, latest vision papers and recently financed research projects are envisioning and investigating NG-AN providing a complete fixed-mobile convergence over a NG-PON architecture [5], by applying OFDM technology [6] or RoF techniques [7]. 2. Cost/energy-effective ONU sub-systems for higher data rates, higher-split PONs and new functionalities User Terminal subsystems are key for the deployment of future access networks, as they have a significant impact on the CapEx, requiring simplicity and cost and energy efficiency for the ONU of the user terminal equipment. In order to fulfill this request, compact devices such as combinations of SOA and EAM provide a promising solution for integrated ONU, maintaining low cost and energy consumption, while providing the required higher data rates, in the range of 10 Gb/s and new functionalities of future access networks. The cost of the ONU, mainly the packaging cost, is significantly reduced by the introduction of reflective devices such as RSOA. Nevertheless, the difficulties in achieving higher data rates than 2.5G/s with these kind of devices, together with the impairments arising in full-duplex transmission on a single wavelength are motivating an important research activity [8] and an important research topic in EURO-FOS project [9]. At this previous publication, it reported highlighted results developed in this project for: a) Achieving high data rate (10 Gb/s) transmission with low-bandwidth (1.2 GHz) RSOA transmitter by electronic equalization and chirp management [9]; b) Photonic integrated solutions for full-duplex transmission on a single wavelength based: b1) on -12 -9 -6 -3 0 0 2 4 6 8 Modulation frequency [GHz] Relative e/o response [dB] 2.5 7.2 RSOA Input power: -15 dBm -20 dBm -25 dBm unequalized equalized Fig 1: Electro-optical response of the RSOA without (○) and with (●▲■) passive RC-equalizer. AMD4.pdf OSA/ANIC/IPR/Sensors/SL/SOF/SPPCom/2011