Comparative analysis of the traffic performance of fiber-impairment limited WDM and hybrid OCDM/WDM networks

Optical code-division multiplexing (OCDM) is a technique that is currently generating considerable research interest. This paper analyzes and compares the traffic performance of wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) and hybrid OCDM/WDM-based optical networks. The analysis considers the influence of the limitations of fiber-induced signal impairments on traffic performance and comparisons are performed for an example network utilizing different standardized fiber types. Furthermore, comparisons of traffic performance are also made between different lightpath schemes used in WDM and OCDM/WDM networks. The analysis results show that the OCDM/WDM lightpath schemes significantly outperform the WDM lightpath schemes for given blocking probability criteria. Moreover, the analysis indicates that fiber nonlinearity (which limits the minimum channel spacing) affects the traffic performance more severely compared to fiber dispersion (limits code cardinality).