We explore an emerging frontier in optical communications-leveraging optical computing and optical signal processing to restore degraded signals in space or mode-division multiplexing(SDM/MDM)systems.As SDM/MDM pushes...We explore an emerging frontier in optical communications-leveraging optical computing and optical signal processing to restore degraded signals in space or mode-division multiplexing(SDM/MDM)systems.As SDM/MDM pushes toward ever-higher channel densities within a single fiber,inter-channel optical coupling leads to significant crosstalk.Due to group velocity mismatches,this crosstalk spatiotemporally entangles optical signal streams,significantly complicating multi-input multi-output digital signal processing(MIMO DSP)for signal recovery across both spatial and temporal domains.Free-space optical systems face similar challenges from multipath interference.We systematically appraise two strategic pathways of optically addressing the spatiotemporal interference:(1)optoelectronic computing that either accelerates conventional linear MIMO DSP or maps the problem onto physics-inspired models solvable by analog or hybrid optoelectronic systems and(2)all-optical processing that seeks to untangle the coupled optical signals directly within the optical domain.For both pathways,we evaluate architectural effectiveness and scalability based on rigorous mathematical analysis,aiming to offer insights into promising approaches for future research.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)(Projects 62335019 and 62475294)the Innovation Program for Quantum Science and Technology(Project 2021ZD0301401)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant 2024YFB2908100).
文摘We explore an emerging frontier in optical communications-leveraging optical computing and optical signal processing to restore degraded signals in space or mode-division multiplexing(SDM/MDM)systems.As SDM/MDM pushes toward ever-higher channel densities within a single fiber,inter-channel optical coupling leads to significant crosstalk.Due to group velocity mismatches,this crosstalk spatiotemporally entangles optical signal streams,significantly complicating multi-input multi-output digital signal processing(MIMO DSP)for signal recovery across both spatial and temporal domains.Free-space optical systems face similar challenges from multipath interference.We systematically appraise two strategic pathways of optically addressing the spatiotemporal interference:(1)optoelectronic computing that either accelerates conventional linear MIMO DSP or maps the problem onto physics-inspired models solvable by analog or hybrid optoelectronic systems and(2)all-optical processing that seeks to untangle the coupled optical signals directly within the optical domain.For both pathways,we evaluate architectural effectiveness and scalability based on rigorous mathematical analysis,aiming to offer insights into promising approaches for future research.
