OFC/NFOEC 2012 - 2012 OFC Collocated National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference OFC/NFOEC 2012

Categories 1 through 3 provide feedback to the network operator community with a shorter-term relevance.This means submissions to these categories should focus on the near- to mid-term needs of engineering and operating a network, where they are or will become commercially viable in a short time frame.

Categories 5 through 14 provide feedback to the R&D community with a longer-term relevance. This means submissions to these categories should focus on fundamental and evolving topics that one would expect to take a few years before becoming commercially viable.

1. Optical Network Applications and Services
2. Network Technologies and Applications
3. FTTx Technologies, Deployment and Applications
4. Market Watch and Service Provider Summit
5. Fibers and Optical Propagation Effects
6. Fiber and Waveguide Based Devices: Amplifiers, Lasers, Sensors, and Performance Monitors
7. Optical Devices for Switching, Filtering, and Interconnects
8. Optoelectronic Devices
9. Digital Transmission Systems
10. Transmission Subsystems and Network Elements
11. Optical Processing and Analog Subsystems
12. Core Networks
13. Access Networks
14. Optical Networking, Technologies, and Applications for Datacom and Computercom
Special Symposium: Enabling Technologies for Fiber Capacities Beyond 100 Terabits

NFOEC Categories

1. Optical Network Applications and Services

Today's networks are designed to meet the evolving needs of service demands and take advantage of the latest technologies and designs. Those networks require a variety of tools, analytical methods, and control/management/design parameters to ensure that they are optimized for the service needs and demand sets that they support. This category looks at near- to mid-term networks, the costs and benefit tradeoffs, the designs for protection and restoration, and the applications that drive the network designs.

Some critical areas of interest include the design of multi-layer networks across packet and optical demands, the cost tradeoffs of adding new technologies vs. continuing with the current ones, the design of control planes to support emerging services, and the operation and maintenance of complex networks. The impact on networks of emerging technologies and concepts such as 100G services, OTN-switched networks, multi-layer and multi-domain control architectures, and field demonstrations are all contained in this category.

The economics of network architectures and solutions often drive decisions and are key to many of the focal areas of this subcommittee. Other important topics include design for resiliency and restorability, tradeoffs between packet and optics networks, dynamic networks, and standards support for key services and network needs.

Specific areas include but are not limited to:

1.1 Network architecture and applications
1.2 Network planning and planning tools
1.3 Design for reliability, restoration and protection
1.4 Network optimization for both Capex and Opex considerations
1.5 New services enabled by technologies or architectures
1.6 Emerging standards and the impact on optical or multi-layer networks
1.7 Packet services and their impact on network design
1.8 Network control, operations and management
1.9 Control plane design enabling multi-domains or multi-layers
1.10 Field demonstrations of near to mid-term network functionality
1.11 The impact of new technologies (OTN, tunable add/drop ROADMs, etc) on network design

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2. Network Technologies and Applications

This category focuses on near-to mid-term emerging network technologies and applications. The networking aspect comprises transport and switching technologies for metro/regional and long-haul networks. Within this broad area, there are central points on which this category focuses:

Evolution to high-speed transmission and switching technology developments include technology solutions for transmission and switching up to 100G. Also included are operational aspects of 40G and 100G technologies. Furthermore, technology concepts are needed for solutions beyond 100G. All optical transmission and switching technologies have been in development for many years. This category focuses on maturity aspects and steps needed for making all-optical switching technologies practical. Results of experimental evaluation, proofs of concept, field trials, interoperability aspects of new technologies are included.

The application area focuses on evolving broadband, high-bandwidth-demanding applications such as data center connectivity as well as interactive applications, e.g. Digital Cinema, SuperHD, 3D-video, interactive video and gaming, and its impact on optical transport network and technology needs including economic analysis.

Topics include:

2.1. Near term network technologies issues
2.2. Network engineering and deployment
2.3. Field trial demonstrations
2.4. Carrier/operator network technology requirements
2.5. Technology economic analysis
2.6. Optical transport and switched systems
2.7. Device, components and equipment
2.8. Applications

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3. FTTx Technologies, Deployment and Applications

FTTx has been deployed in many countries around the world and has reached several important milestones both in subscriber numbers as well as technology advances both in the endpoint electronics and the advancements in the outside plant optical components and processes. In many countries providers have evolved their platforms to include second-generation technologies (e.g. GPON, GE-PON) and are looking at migration issues to future access platforms such as XGPON, 10GEPON, or WDM systems. In addition, work is underway to standardize a next next generation PON system with 40Gbps down and 10Gbps up. In the outside plant there have been equivalent advances in fibers and connectors to make the deployment of FTTx more cost effective, both in terms of capital and operational expenses. In addition, advances have been made not just in the deployment of FTTx, but in its surveillance and monitoring of its health to reduce overall maintenance issues and improve overall customer satisfaction.

On the services side, there has been an explosion in bandwidth needs from the subscriber, in order to support both more concurrent usage as well as increased use of higher-bandwidth services such as HDTV and soon to be 3DTV. These residential services as well as increases in support for business services are continuing to drive up the bandwidth requirements for the access network and have resulted in service providers looking at next-generation technologies.

This subcommittee focuses on the practical issues that face the further expansion of these deployments and their technical solutions. The aim is that the various lessons learned from these deployments, and issues encountered and resolved, can be shared by the community at large.

Areas covered include:

3.1. FTTx network architecture design and applications
3.2. PON technologies (e.g. TDM-PON, WDM, hybrid TDM/WDM PON), network architecture, upgrade and/or migration from legacy PON to next-gen PONs and applications
3.3. Home networking and inside wiring including service delivery over wireless technologies inside the home
3.4. Application and services, bandwidth drivers (residential and business), global bandwidth trends
3.5. New component deployment and other enabling technologies (eg, connectors, fibers, devices, amplifiers)
3.6. Operational issues (e.g. testing, monitoring, installation procedures, and methods to reduce issues)
3.7. Deployment and field experiences
3.8. Field trials and demonstrations of future FTTx technologies and/or more efficient installation techniques
3.9. Economic analysis
3.10. Industry standards

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4: Market Watch and Service Provider Summit

This category does not solicit contributed submissions. For more details see the Show Floor Activities and Programming page.

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OFC Categories

5. Fibers and Optical Propagation Effects

This category focuses on all aspects of optical fibers including their design, fabrication, and physical properties. State-of-the-art telecom transmission fibers are typically silica glass-based single mode fibers. Research continues to approach the fundamental loss limit while at the same time increasing power handling capabilities by increasing the fiber's effective area (i.e. spreading the optical power over a larger area) and therefore reducing Kerr effect-induced nonlinear impairments. Also receiving a lot of interest are optical fibers with reduced bend sensitivity (i.e. bending induced loss) to enable wire?like installation.

The degree to which group velocity dispersion and birefringence can be manipulated in silica-based fibers is limited by a low core-cladding index contrast. Much higher index contrasts can be achieved in micro?structured optical fibers where the core can be surrounded by air or other materials. Of particular interest are photonic crystal fibers where the micro?structure surrounding the core has a periodic lattice, allowing a departure from light guiding by total internal reflection and instead confining light to the core through a photonic bandgap. Even hollow core fibers become possible with this concept.

Other specialty fibers include optical fibers based on glass materials other than silica, e.g. fluorite, phosphate, or chalcogenide glasses. Kerr-related nonlinearities are significantly enhanced in these fibers, which allows for all optical signal processing and related device applications including ultrafast optical switching, super-continuum generation, and many others.

Approaches to increase the total capacity per fiber are multi?core optical fibers using space division multiplexing or transmission on several modes in multi?mode fibers using mode division multiplexing. Research also continues into multi?mode fibers and plastic optical fiber for low-cost applications and short-reach data connections. Record bandwidth and transmission distance continue to increase from year to year.

Besides the physical properties of optical fibers, Category 5 also focuses on the physics of light propagation in optical fiber and free space. In glass fibers, Kerr-induced nonlinear effects such as self?phase modulation, cross?phase modulation, or four?wave mixing lead to a multitude of phenomena. The interaction of self-phase modulation with dispersion for example creates quasi particles termed solitons with rich properties. Of fundamental importance are also cooperative light scattering processes in optical fibers such as Rayleigh, Brillouin and Raman scattering where photons scatter of impurities, acoustical and optical phonons (lattice vibrations), respectively, presenting a limit to lower loss or high-power handling capability.

Topics include:

5.1. Optical fiber design and fabrication
5.2. Specialty optical fibers
5.3. Fibers for high power applications
5.4. Microstructured fibers
5.5. Photonic bandgap fibers
5.6. Non-silica fibers
5.7. Sub-micron waveguides
5.8. Propagation effects in fiber and free space
5.9. Nonlinear effects including solitons and scattering in fibers
5.10. Propagation related transmission impairments
5.11. Dispersion and polarization related effects in fibers
5.12. Fiber characterization and measurement techniques
5.13. Fibers for switching and non-linear optical processing
5.14. Fibers for ultrahigh capacity transmission
5.15 Multi-material optical fibers
5.16 Fiber reliability
5.17 Fiber Interconnect Technologies

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6. Fiber and Waveguide Based Devices: Amplifiers, Lasers, Sensors, and Performance Monitors

Devices and device configurations have been an enabling factor, playing an integral part in the development of optical communication and sensor systems for decades. New directions are now emerging within other areas of photonics that equally are likely to benefit from a strong focus and further advances in fiber and waveguide device technology.

Category 6 covers most aspects of fiber- and waveguide-based optical device technology and techniques using these technologies for performance monitoring within all optical systems. Many papers focus on optical fiber amplifier technologies of all types, covering areas in both telecom and non-telecom applications. In 2012 we hope to see a number of submissions describing new amplifier configurations for future optical transmission bands. Another substantial part of the committee focuses on light sources in optical fibers and waveguides. These sources include fiber lasers ranging from moderate-power low-noise single-frequency configurations to very high-power systems based on virtually any gain material, and broadband sources including supercontinuum and amplified spontaneous emission systems. We welcome all contributions discussing advances in these areas. All aspects of optical sensing are another focus of the committee's activities. We consider, for example, sensors for application in extreme environments, and sensor configurations for very high precision temperature and strain measurements. Sensors for use in biomedical applications are also welcome.

Specific areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

6.1 Optical amplifier design
6.2 Glass fiber amplifiers
6.3 Rare-earth doped fiber and waveguide amplifiers
6.4 Raman and Brillouin fiber amplifiers
6.5 Optical parametric fiber amplifiers, phase-sensitive amplification, and their applications
6.6 Hybrid fiber and planar optical amplifiers
6.7 Optical amplifiers with automatic gain control
6.8 Optical fiber lasers for telecom and non-telecom applications
6.9 Supercontinuum sources and applications
6.10 Frequency comb sources and their applications
6.11 Optical sensors, including LIDAR
6.12 Biophotonic devices and device configurations, including internal sensors and external monitoring systems
6.13 Fiber and waveguide Bragg gratings and long period gratings for pulse-shaping, signal measurement and sensing
6.14 Poled fibers and waveguides for frequency conversion, signal measurement and sensing applications
6.15 Novel devices and methods for signal measurement and sensing
6.16 Optical performance monitoring techniques and devices
6.17 Measurement of wavelength, power, and state of polarization, including short pulse characterization
6.18 Astrophotonic applications of fiber and waveguide technologies

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7. Optical Devices for Switching, Filtering, and Interconnects

One of main topics for this category is wavelength selective switch (WSS). WSS technology mainly realized by free space optics was introduced in the real optical network during the past 5 years. However, the current existing network is still colored ROADM due to some technology limitations and cost constraints. Therefore, this category focuses on and discusses how to realize the future network requirements such as colorless, directionless, and contentionless ROADM.

Another important topic for Category 7 is high-speed optical modulators and integrated receiver optics regarding the coherent optical transmission technology. Several 100 Gbit/s transmissions in the field were demonstrated and the first 100Gb/s network deployment was also announced at last year. Due to emerging importance of the topic, this category focuses especially on hybrid integration technique to realize 100 Gbit/s or higher bit-rate optical transmission.

Moreover, this category also pays attention to various types of waveguide technologies using indium phosphide (InP) or silicon (Si) materials for the wavelength routing and other important optical functions in the future optical network.

Topics include:

7.1. Photonic bandgap and nano-optic devices
7.2. Attenuators and gain equalization filters
7.3. Spectral interleavers and banding filters
7.4. CWDM and DWDM multiplexers and demultiplexers
7.5. Wavelength add/drop switches and tunable filters
7.6. Wavelength-selective switches
7.7. Optical switches including cross connects
7.8. Thin film filters
7.9. Passive optical interconnects
7.10. Waveguide power splitters and couplers
7.11. Optical devices for dispersion or distortion or other signal compensation
7.12. PMD compensation and emulation techniques
7.13. Characterization of photonic components
7.14. Polarization control and polarization conversion devices
7.15. Etalon and ring resonator based devices
7.16. Planar lightwave circuit devices
7.17. Hybrid integrated devices
7.18. Waveguide materials and theory
7.19. Free-space optical devices
7.20. Microelectromechanical (MEMS) devices
7.21. Devices for OCDMA
7.22. Acousto-optic devices
7.23 Waveguide-based sensors
7.24 Waveguide-based optical signal processing
7.25 Polymer or non-silicon waveguide optical devices

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8. Optoelectronic Devices

The Optoelectronic Devices Category covers active devices and components for optical communications. Many functions are covered: optical sources and modulators for transmission; optical amplifiers, switches, wavelength converters, and nonlinear devices to manipulate light; and detectors and receivers to reconvert optical signals back to the electrical domain. The integration level is also broad, ranging from novel single devices to highly-integrated photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and complete packaged modules. The methods and techniques for building active components are also under this category, from epitaxial growth and fabrication to novel packaging and device and module reliability testing.

The dynamic technical sessions are exciting and continue to showcase unprecedented achievements in optoelectronic devices. A sampling of recent highlights includes multi-channel multi-wavelength InP PICs, Si/Ge APDs, ultrafast receivers for coherent links, 40 Gb/s VCSELs, and novel Si photonic modulator and detectors.

Topics include:

8.1. Lasers (including external cavity lasers)
8.2. Modulators
8.3. Detectors
8.4. Semiconductor optical amplifiers
8.5. Wavelength converters
8.6. Nonlinear devices
8.7. Semiconductor-based switches
8.8. Optoelectronic hybrid and monolithic integration
8.9. Optoelectronic fabrication and epitaxy
8.10. Device packaging
8.11. Optoelectronic device testing and reliability
8.12. Optical burst/packet switching devices
8.13. Picosecond and femtosecond devices
8.14. Sources and modulators for optical interconnects

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9. Digital Transmission Systems

Digital Transmission Systems provide the enabling infrastructure for the ubiquitous communication and information technologies of modern society, with recent transmission capacity demonstrations of 100 Tbit/s over a single optical fiber. The transparent optical transmission reach in digital transmission systems ranges from a few hundred kilometers within urban areas to many ten thousand kilometers for submarine links.

This category provides a platform for the discussion of the latest results pertaining to the analysis, modeling, demonstration, and implementation of digital optical transmission technologies. Contributions to this category are concerned with aspects such as capacity, reach, flexibility, or energy consumption of optical communication systems on the digital optical transmission layer, and propose methods to overcome current limitations. Contributions focus on overall transmission systems and on the transmission aspects of certain modulation, detection, multiplexing, and routing techniques, but not on the performance of individual subsystems or network elements in the absence of appreciable transmission. As such, papers submitted to this category often build upon and combine a variety of recent innovations in advanced optical communication subsystems.

In particular, contributions related to the following areas are welcome:

9.1. Transmission system modeling
9.2. New/improved algorithms for modeling transmission systems
9.3. Transmission system experiments
9.4. WDM and high-speed transmission systems
9.5. System impact of fiber nonlinearities
9.6. System impact of optical and/or electronic signal processing techniques
9.7. System implications of modulation formats
9.8. System aspects of polarization effects and their mitigation (PDL, PMD)
9.9. Free-space optical communication experiments
9.10. Systems and information-theoretic aspects of forward error correction (FEC)
9.11. Quantum communications

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10. Transmission Subsystems and Network Elements

Historically there has been an exponential increase in optical communication data rates, enabled by disruptive technologies at the subsystem level. This has ranged from optical amplified WDM systems in the 1990s to the more recent coherent transmission systems in which digital coherent receivers have caused a revolution in the design of optical transmission systems, allowing for example 100 Gbit/s to be transmitted over fiber which, using traditional methods, could not support 10 Gbit/s.

This category provides a platform for the discussion of the latest modeling, demonstration, and implementation of individual subsystems and network elements used to realize optical communications systems and networks. Contributions to this category define the current factors that limit the efficacy and performance of individual subsystems and network elements as well as methods to improve performance. Recent submissions to the category have included real-time implementation of digital coherent reception and electronic signal processing, as well as algorithms and techniques that improve the power efficacy of such subsystems.

Contributed papers are solicited concerning, but not limited to, any aspect of the design and performance of individual subsystems and network elements used to implement optical communications systems and networks. In particular contributions related to the following areas would be welcome:

10.1. Design, performance and control of network elements and nodes
10.2. Transmitter and receiver subsystems
10.3. Digital signal processing and algorithms for optical transceivers
10.4. Algorithms and subsystems for realizing forward error correction (FEC)
10.5. Electronic analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters
10.6. Optical performance monitoring methods and subsystems

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11. Optical Processing and Analog Subsystems

The Optical Processing and Analog Subsystems technical area solicits papers on recent advances in all-optical processing of signals, analog optical subsystems, and optical subsystems for non-telecom applications. Topics in these areas can generally be divided into three multidisciplinary sub-areas: optical processing, microwave photonics, and radio-over-fiber systems.

Optical processing is concerned with the use of optical techniques for realizing devices and subsystems to perform functions for communications systems as well as defense and non-telecom application systems that are elusive to solutions from all-electronic methods. Research in this field includes the use of linear optics and nonlinear optics methods to solve a diverse set of issues including efficient wavelength conversion and channel routing, optical regeneration and optical clock recovery, as well as optical packet switching, and high channel count multiplexing and demultiplexing.

Microwave photonics is concerned with interactions between the optical and the microwave portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, where the term "microwave" includes radio frequencies (~10 MHz to 1 GHz), microwave frequencies (~1 GHz to 30 GHz), millimeter-wave frequencies (~30 GHz to 500 GHz), and terahertz frequencies (~500 GHz to 10 THz). Microwave photonic techniques, devices, and systems enable the generation, transmission, detection, processing, and control of microwave signals required for many of the advanced systems and system concepts of today and the future. The field of microwave photonics will continue to impact a diverse set of applications including RF sensing systems, novel antenna systems and antenna remoting, as well as high speed instrumentation and measurement systems and numerous emerging technologies (biomedical, terahertz, ultrawideband, ultrastable frequency metrology, high speed analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion,...).

The radio-over-fiber sub-area is concerned with the development and improvement of broadband wireless communication systems and networks. Here many of the microwave photonic, optical processing, and fiber signal transport techniques are merged with digital electronics and electronic wireless techniques to significantly improve the availability, accessibility, reliability, and affordability of wireless communication networks. The potential for the modulation transparent and mixed format interconnection of wireless cells using optical networks will allow for the efficient deployment of new radio cells and/or upgrading of existing wireless networks without incurring the excessive costs of new fiber plant or central station upgrades. This sub-area focuses on physical layer technology advances and challenges required to realize these benefits.

Topics include:

11.1. Optical wavelength conversion subsystems
11.2. Optical regeneration and clock recovery subsystems
11.3. Optical multiplexing and demultiplexing subsystems
11.4. Optical logic and memory
11.5. Optical packet switching/burst switching subsystems
11.6. Photonic signal processing including ADC and DAC
11.7. Non-linear optical signal processing
11.8. Microwave photonics
11.9. Radio over fiber subsystems
11.10. Optical subsystems for defense and non-telecom applications
11.11. Optical technologies for high-speed and UWB wireless communication
11.12. Optical technologies for generation, distribution, and detection of millimeter-wave signals

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12. Core Networks

Core transport networks are the basis of the wide ranging telecommunications services that play a pivotal role in today's information society. Their offerings extend from private line connectivity between large enterprise sites and data centers, to Internet connectivity, mobile communications, and video delivery. Advances in core networks will allow continuous innovations in these services.

Core transport networks must evolve to overcome the relentless traffic increase and economic pressures. ROADM technologies have been deployed widely in recent years to realize large-scale all-optical core networks. Packet-aware transport utilizing ODU cross-connect systems has been developed. Bandwidth-on-demand is now a reality as seen by its commercial deployment. As a breakthrough technology for further innovation, the elastic optical path and flexible grid technologies have recently been extensively investigated.

The Core Network category focuses on the research and innovation required to advance core transport networks. This covers the architecture, design, and operation of all-optical and opto-electronic core transport networks, and their integration with higher layer services. Contributed papers are solicited on, but not limited to, any aspect mentioned here. We particularly encourage submissions that focus on new areas and cutting-edge innovations.

Topics include:

12.1. Network architectures and design
12.2. Algorithms for resource management (eg, routing, wavelength allocation)
12.3. Traffic grooming, including multi-granularity switching
12.4. Highly resilient core architectures and failure recovery mechanisms
12.5. Techniques for network modeling and simulation
12.6. Network performance evaluation
12.7. Network control and management (single and multi-domain networks)
12.8. Elastic optical path and flexible grid networks
12.9. Optical circuit and flow switching networks
12.10. Optical packet and burst switching networks
12.11. Carrier grade Ethernet for core networks
12.12. Optical networks for the future Internet
12.13. Core networks for delivery of new services (IPTV, bandwidth on-demand)
12.14. Energy efficiency in the core
12.15. Network experiments
12.16. Optical network virtualization

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13. Access Networks

There has been growing research interest in access networks in recent years as a result of the rapid growth of the Internet as well as the increasing demand for broadband services. Many diverse technologies have been studied and developed to eliminate the bandwidth bottleneck between end-users and the core network. Besides increasing the capacity, the demands for next-generation access networks also include smooth integration with heterogeneous networks such as wireless broadband networks, home networks, and storage networks, as well as energy efficiency.

Category 13 focuses on long-term research and innovation in network architectures and protocols for optical access networks, including network design and networking aspects of the constituent elements and systems. Novel optical and optical/wireless hybrid access network architectures, subsystems, and optical transmission /devices technologies such as hybrid signal multiplexing, advanced modulation formats, DSP-based transmission, high-speed burst-mode detection and coherent receiving, that will increase bandwidth capacity, access reach, robustness for sustainable operation, and reduce CAPEX/OPEX, power consumption, and provide attractive new services are the main topics for this category.

Topics include:

13.1 Optical access network architecture, design, control, and management
13.2 High speed optical access networks and applications
13.3 Future PON architectures, including WDM-PON, OFDMA-PON, and Hybrid PON
13.4 Radio over fiber access networks
13.5 Hybrid wireless-optical networks
13.6 Free-space optics (FSO) access networks
13.7 Long-reach broadband access networks
13.8 OCDMA networks
13.9 Novel Ethernet PON and related technologies
13.10 Novel access techniques, including DSP based optical access
13.11 Energy efficient optical access networks
13.12 Optics in home area networks, local area networks, storage area networks
13.13 Optical access system reliability and security
13.14 Monitoring technologies for access networks

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14. Optical Networking, Technologies, and Applications for Datacom and Computercom

The application of optical technologies for datacom and computercom has recently attracted great attention. Distributed massive scale "cloud computing" will require new developments in the field of optical communication technologies and networking. Cloud-computing basically makes use of the Internet to connect remote users to massive, warehouse-scale data centers that house large networks of processors and memory for crunching and storing data; and as a result requires new solutions/technologies to support it in a cost-effective and power-efficient manner. Performance gains in huge computing power machines are increasingly achieved through interconnecting large numbers of parallel processors/nodes. The resulting demands on communication bandwidth are extremely challenging, with the computer backplane or the telecom terminal backplane looming as one of the primary bottlenecks to information transfer. Within the next decade, it is expected that Exaflop-scale machines will be produced and will incorporate well over 1 million optical interconnects.

The increasing bandwidth demands of emerging computing platforms from hand-held embedded systems to data centers and cloud computing has started attracting significant research activities into enabling photonic technologies including interconnects and switching fabrics, as well as the design consideration of interconnection networking architectures. Traditional Datacom transceiver technology is too costly, bulky, and power hungry to support the future scale of deployment. A new class of optimized short-reach, low-power, and low-cost optical interconnects must therefore be developed to enable next-generation large-scale systems and address the Computercom interconnect challenge. This category aims to capture these emerging non-Telecom areas from enabling optical interconnect technologies, switching and routing subsystems, to integrated interconnection networking architectures and new applications that address the unique challenges of Datacom and Computercom. We seek contributions on the components and architectures that will enable the deployment of massive optical networks for Exascale computers and highly interconnected data centers. The length scales of interest include intra-system, intra-datacenter and inter-datacenter.

Topics include:

14.1 Optical interconnect technologies (including board/module packaged interconnects, VCSEL-based parallel links, hybrid and monolithic integration of optics and drive electronics, and power-efficient optical engines (transmitters and receivers))
14.2 Novel packaging for low-cost integrated optics and parallel transceivers
14.3 Integrated switch elements and fabrics
14.4 WDM/CWDM interconnects for integrated optics and parallel modules
14.5 Si photonic packaging focused on many channels at low cost
14.6 Low-loss parallel optical coupling between fibers, chips and modules
14.7 Interconnection network architectures for computing platforms and data centers
14.8 Network management and control plane designs for photonic and hybrid electronic/optical interconnect
14.9 Optical switching interconnection network experiments including on-chip networks, optically interconnected memory subsystems, and large scale data centers
14.10 Optical network measurement and traffic pattern characterization techniques in Datacom and Computercom platforms
14.11 New computing architectures enabled by optical interconnects and nanophotonics
14.12 New arbitration or barrier synchronization methods exploiting optical parallelism
14.13 Performance benchmarking of network-on-chip and chip-scale-multi-processors with optical interconnects

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Special Symposium: Enabling Technologies for Fiber Capacities Beyond 100 Terabits

Organizers: Stojan Radic, Univ. of California San Diego, USA; Robert Tkach, Alcatel-lucent, USA; Masatoshi Suzuki, KDDI R&D Labs, Japan; Toshia Morioka, NTT Labs, Japan; Lars Gruner-Nielson, OFS Fitel Denmark, Denmark; Sander Jansen, Nokia Siemens Network, Germany

This symposium is soliciting contributed submissions. Check back soon for a detailed description on this symposium.