Optimization of Optical Add-Drop Multiplexers Based on Arrayed Waveguide Gratings with Fabrication Errors for Transparent Optical Networks

A transparent optical network (TON) composed by optical add-drop multiplexers based on arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) with fabrication errors is optimized for 10 Gbit/s per channel and channel spacing of 25 GHz. The optimization takes into account the effect of inter-symbol interference, amplified spontaneous emission noise accumulation, and coherent and incoherent homodyne crosstalk. Numerical results reveal that AWG fabrication errors can have a high influence on the TON performance; however, in all investigated situations, they do not affect the AWG parameters values corresponding to the optimum AWG frequency response. This surprising behavior is due to the fabrication errors affect mainly the AWG response outside the passband for the required AWG crosstalk level. It is shown that the optimum AWG frequency response is a flat-top response with a mean amplitude response outside the passband lower than -30 dB and the switch isolation should exceed 30 dB.