Adapting Transmitter Power and Modulation Format to Improve Optical Network Performance Utilizing the Gaussian Noise Model of Nonlinear Impairments

This paper serves to highlight the gains in SNR margin and/or data capacity that can be achieved through a proper optimization of the transceiver parameters, for example, launch power, modulation format, and channel allocation. A simple quality of transmission estimator is described that allows a rapid estimation of the signal quality based on ASE noise and nonlinear interference utilizing the Gaussian noise model. The quality of transmission estimator was used to optimize the SNR and maximise the data throughput of transmission signals in a point-to-point link by adjusting the launch power and modulation format. In a three-node network, the launch power and channel allocation were adjusted to minimise the overall effect of nonlinear interference. This paper goes on to show that by optimizing the transceiver modulation format as part of the channel allocation and routing problem gains in network data throughput can be achieved for the 14-node NSF mesh network.