Abstract

Due to claims of enhanced spectral efficiency and the ability to accommodate future modulation formats, flexible-grid networks in which the center wavelength and passband width of the optical channels can be set on the fly have attracted wide attention. A flexible-grid reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) requires more than a flexible-grid wavelength-selective switch, and a flexible-grid network requires far more than flexible-grid ROADMs. We discuss the technologies required to enable flexible-grid networks. We examine the potential benefits of using flexible-grid ROADMs and compare this approach with alternative strategies.

© 2013 Optical Society of America

Designing Transparent Flexible-Grid Optical Networks for Maximum Spectral Efficiency [Invited]

João Pedro
J. Opt. Commun. Netw. 9(4) C35-C44 (2017)

Migration Steps Toward Flexi-Grid Networks

A. Mayoral, V. López, O. González de Dios, and J. P. Fernández-Palacios
J. Opt. Commun. Netw. 6(11) 988-996 (2014)

Evaluating Internal Blocking in Noncontentionless Flex-grid ROADMs [Invited]

Pablo Pavon-Marino, Maria-Victoria Bueno-Delgado, and Jose-Luis Izquierdo-Zaragoza
J. Opt. Commun. Netw. 7(3) A474-A481 (2015)

Valuing Flexibility in the Migration to Flexible-Grid Networks [Invited]

Mathieu Tahon, Sofie Verbrugge, Didier Colle, Mario Pickavet, Piet Demeester, Paul Wright, and Andrew Lord
J. Opt. Commun. Netw. 5(10) A184-A191 (2013)

Quantifying Spectrum, Cost, and Energy Efficiency in Fixed-Grid and Flex-Grid Networks [Invited]

E. Palkopoulou, M. Angelou, D. Klonidis, K. Christodoulopoulos, A. Klekamp, F. Buchali, E. Varvarigos, and I. Tomkos
J. Opt. Commun. Netw. 4(11) B42-B51 (2012)