Funder: EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council)
Lead partner: UCL
Partner: Aston University, University of Cambridge, University of Southampton, University of Bristol, Microsoft
Lead academic: Prof Polina Bayvel
Project amount: £6,084,950
Research themes: Photonic Systems & Integration; Future Communications; Sustainable Technologies
Project period: 1 April 2023 – 31 March 2028
Project description: The goal of the EWOC project is to transform how future optical communications systems are designed, by exploiting up to 50 THz of the low-attenuation window of optical fibre bandwidth. The overarching aim is to demonstrate net data rates of 240 Terabit per second per single-mode core over distances of up to 10,000 km, more than tripling throughput compared to the latest record demonstration over long-haul distances, and doubling that previously achieved over any transmission distance. The developed technology will be compatible with space division multiplexing systems to exploit combined bandwidth, space and information spectral density dimensions; for example, using the recently developed 32 core fibres, net throughputs would scale to over 12 Pb/s in short-reach systems and exceeding 7 Pb/s in ultra-long-haul links. To achieve these goals, advances will be required in three areas: optical amplification technology, modulation and coding, and an improved understanding of fibre nonlinearity impairment and its mitigation.
