Frequency Conversion and Source-Independent Push-Pull for Super-Channels in Flex-Grid Optical Networks

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a technique based on periodically-poled Lithium Niobate waveguide to achieve both frequency conversion and defragmentation in elastic (or flex-grid) optical networks. The technique is demonstrated in a lab trial considering 200 Gb/s super-channel. Frequency conversion is achieved with limited optical-signal-to-noise-ratio penalty. Then, defragmentation is performed without loss of data from the node where conversion takes place. The proposed defragmentation, named source-independent push-pull, is especially suitable for super-channels (i.e., connections composed of multiple sub-carriers) because it enables a solid shift of the sub-carriers without incurring any degradations due to spectral overlapping.