Affiliations: Photonics Research Laboratory, Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia, Tel.: (613) 344-6791, Fax: (613) 344-6678, E-mail: h.liu@ee.mu.oz.au
Abstract: Optical solitons exploit the nonlinear nature of the refractive index of silica fibers to overcome the effects of group velocity dispersion (GVD). It is well established that the remarkable resilient properties of solitons stabilize them against perturbations to permit long distance transoceanic transmissions. This paper reviews the basic properties of fundamental solitons and their applications in both ultra high speed and wavelength-division-multiplexed communication systems. The unique properties of solitons can be advantageously used to realise pulse compression. By combining this with the ultrafast semiconductor laser technologies, soliton transmission over 100 Gbit/s is possible. Furthermore, the transparency between solitons of different central wavelength in collisions makes solitons especially attractive in wavelength-division-multiplexed communication systems. Considerations in the practical implementation of solitons in communication systems are outlined and remedies to the fundamental problems encountered are described. The combination of soliton transmission and the application of solitons in wavelength-division-multiplexed communication systems provide a natural progression to expand the capacity of optical fibers. It is expected that future generations of transoceanic optical systems will support the propagation of solitons for high bit-rate communications.
Keywords: Optical Fiber Communications, Optical Solitons, Wavelength Division Multiplexing, Short Pulses, High Speed, Long Distance, High Bit-Rate, Review
