256 GBaud RRM-based OOK Link in C-band Enabled by Neural Network Equalization
Journal article, 2025
With the AI boom, data center interconnects require higher symbol rates and throughput. Intensity modulation and direct detection (IM/DD) is a cost-effective candidate for short-reach optical links. Ring resonator-based modulators (RRMs) with broad bandwidth have emerged as a promising solution for high-speed IM/DD links. However, RRMs introduce nonlinear impairments, which can cause rate bottlenecks in IM/DD. In this work, we demonstrate up to 256 GBaud RRM-based optical amplification-free on-off keying links enabled by two NN-based equalizers. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first RRM-based IM/DD demonstration of a 256 GBaud OOK link. We achieve bit-errorratio below the 7% overhead hard-decision forward error correction threshold after transmission over 100 m single-mode fiber (SMF) for all considered symbol rates. Our work outperforms recent state-of-the-art RRM-based IM/DD studies by applying NN equalization using a 42-GHz bandwidth RRM with a driving voltage of 2.7-Vpp. The achieved performance and complexity analysis reported in this work are a key step towards future implementations of NN-based equalizers in hardware to enable high-symbol-rate IM/DD systems.
Intensity modulation and direct detection
Ring resonator-based modulator links
Neural networks
Optical interconnects
Author
Dan Li
RISE Research Institutes of Sweden
Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)
Yevhenii Osadchuk
Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
University of Copenhagen
Armands Ostrovskis
Riga Technical University
Keysight Technologies
Toms Salgals
Riga Technical University
Francesco Da Ros
Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
Carlos Natalino Da Silva
Chalmers, Electrical Engineering, Communication, Antennas and Optical Networks
D. Zibar
Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
Lu Zhang
Zhejiang University
Xianbin Yu
Zhejiang University
V. Bobrovs
Riga Technical University
Xiaodan Pang
RISE Research Institutes of Sweden
Zhejiang University
Riga Technical University
Oskars Ozolins
RISE Research Institutes of Sweden
Riga Technical University
Journal of Lightwave Technology
0733-8724 (ISSN) 1558-2213 (eISSN)
Vol. In PressSubject Categories (SSIF 2025)
Telecommunications
DOI
10.1109/JLT.2025.3599665