2010 Workshops and Panels

Watch Chairs Discuss Special Features at OFC/NFOEC, including Workshops

OFC/NFOEC Workshops provide opportunities to discuss and debate the latest technologies. Many workshops will be highly interactive, amongst both the speakers and the audience. The format of each session is determined by the organizers. In the past, many workshops have consisted of a series of short, contributed presentations (5 to 10 minutes) from people involved in the field followed by a panel discussion driven by questions from the audience.

The 2010 conference features workshops and panel discussions in current areas of interest in OFC and NFOEC categories alike. All OFC/NFOEC attendees are encouraged to participate. Workshops will be held on Sunday, March 21, 4:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m., and Monday, March 22, 8:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. The workshops provide an interactive learning environment and are open to all conference registrants.

Workshops
Panels

Workshops

Sunday, March 21, 4:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.

Category B. Fiber and Waveguide-Based Devices: Amplifiers, Lasers, Sensors and Performance Monitors

OSuG, Discipline-Hopping in Photonics: How Can Medical Sciences Benefit from Recent Advances in the Traditional OFC Technologies? Adrian Podoleanu¹, Morten Ibsen²; ¹Univ. of Kent at Canterbury, UK, ²Univ. of Southampton, UK, Fibers and fiber-laser based systems are rapidly invading the medical arena, and a number of avenues for enhanced functionality have emerged from improvements in these technologies in the recent past. With demands in medical-imaging applications for ever higher resolution and line-rates increasing at exponential rates, the need for careful use of the processing capabilities of signals to enhance performance and efficiency has become progressively more attractive.

This workshop aims to assist in, and explore paths for, opening up a more direct technical debate between two flourishing communities working on technologies related to medicine for diagnostic and treatment purposes. Topics to be addressed include:

Sources for diagnostics and treatments (e.g. swept wavelength, supercontinuum and high-power sources).
Optical configurations and specialised fibers (e.g. for OCT, confocal microscopy, multiphoton microscopy, endoscopy, etc).
Signal-processing (e.g. multiplexing-demultiplexing, phase-shifting interferometry).

Speakers:
Adrian Gh. Podoleanu, Univ. of Kent, UK
Morten Ibsen, Univ. of Southampton, UK
Zhongping Chen, Univ. of California at Irvine, USA
Robert Huber, Ludwig-Maximilians-Univ. München, Germany
Bahram Jalali, Univ. of California at Los Angeles, USA
Frederik D. Nielsen, NKT Photonics A/S, Denmark
William Yang, BaySpec, Inc., USA

Trends in Non-Invasive Optical Imaging Inspired by Traditional OFC Technologies, Adrian Gh. Podoleanu; Univ. of Kent, UK, Methods and devices initially developed by the fiber optic, sensing and fiber laser communities are now finding applications in high resolution non-invasive optical imaging. A short introduction will set the scene of the workshop presentations. Three avenues are identified in the modern low coherence interferometry and in the optical coherence tomography technologies which have taken inspiration from fiber optic sensing, fiber optic devices, fiber lasers and fiber optic communications: (i) optical sources, (ii) optical configurations and (iii) signal processing. Progress along these three avenues is characterised by the need to slice the tissue as fast as possible and as fine as possible. Novel fibers and improved optical and digital processing schemes continue to stimulate progress in endoscopy. In optical coherence tomography, the number of publications doubled every three years. In terms of speed, the line rate has increased by more than 6 orders of magnitude from 1991. In the last few years the emphasis has moved, from increasing the line rate, to increasing the speed in volume acquisition, therefore the speed is now quantified in number of voxels/s. Parallel processing and progress in fast ring lasers has lead to sub-second acquisition times of whole volumes of tissue of 1 GigaVoxels.

Please follow the link to find out more about Adrian Podoleanu.

Fiber Based Endoscopic OCT, MPM, and CARS Imaging, Zhongping Chen; Beckman Laser Inst., Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Univ. of California at Irvine, USA, Optical coherence tomography (OCT), multiphoton microscopy (MPM), and coherent anti-stokes (CARS) imaging are imaging technologies that have found many biomedical applications. Several key advances in fiber based endoscopic OCT, MPM and CARS systems have directly resulted from technological innovations in the telecommunication field, including swept laser, fiber femtosecond laser, phase modulator, photonic crystal fiber, MEMS scanning device, etc. In this paper, I will review the principles behind these imaging techniques and highlight several recent technology advances in this exciting field.

Dr. Zhongping Chen is a Professor of Department of Biomedical Engineering and Director of Functional Optical Coherence Tomography Laboratory at University of California, Irvine. He is a Co-Founder of OCT Medical Imaging Inc. Dr. Chen received his BS degree in Applied Physics from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 1982, his MS degree in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University in 1987, and his PhD degree in Applied Physics from Cornell University in 1993. Dr. Chen’s research interests encompass the areas of biomedical photonics, microfabrication, biomaterials and biosensors. His research group has pioneered the development of functional optical coherence tomography, which simultaneously provides high resolution 3-D images of tissue structure, blood flow, and birefringence. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers and review articles and holds a number of patents in the fields of biomaterials, biosensors, and biomedical imaging. Dr. Chen is a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), a Fellow of SPIE, and a Fellow of the Optical Society of America.

Fourier Domain Mode Locked (FDML) Lasers: An All Telecom Components Light Source Providing Unprecedented Performance in Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), Robert Huber; Ludwig-Maximilians-Univ. München, Germany, Fourier domain mode locking (FDML) is a new technique to realize very rapidly wavelength swept narrowband laser sources. With sweep rates up to 5 MHz, sweep bandwidths of 150nm and more and instantaneous linewidths as
narrow as 0.02 nm, these sources offer unmatched performance in optical coherence tomography (OCT), a novel biomedical imaging modality. All passive and active optical elements in an FDML laser are readily available telecom components, resulting in an exemplary stability and reliability, which greatly helped to quickly push this new technology from a laboratory environment into clinical application. Recent developments, the current status and new improvements in FDML lasers will be reported. Efforts to extend the accessible wavelength range, to increase the instantaneous coherence length and to further push the sweep speed while maintaining low relative intensity noise will be discussed

Please follow the link to find out more about Robert Huber.

Taking Pictures with an Oscilloscope, Bahram Jalali, Keisuke Goda, Kevin Tsia, Ata Mahjoubfar; Photonics Lab, Univ. of California at Los Angeles, USA, We report an imaging method that overcomes the fundamental limitation between sensitivity and speed and offers frame rates that are 1,000 times faster than those of conventional CCDs. Our technique uses group velocity dispersion to map a 2-D pixel array into a 1-D serial analog data stream. It simultaneously achieves optical image amplification through stimulated Raman scattering in the dispersive medium. The optically serialized pixel stream resembles serial data in optical communication links, so a fiber optic receiver is used for image capture. Our system captures an entire 2-D image using a single-pixel photodetector and achieves, for the first time, net optical image amplification. This crucial capability overcomes the fundamental tradeoff between sensitivity and frame rate. It does so without the need for cooling - a costly and bulky solution; and without the need for high-intensity illumination – an approach that is even more undesirable as it can damage biological samples. We discuss the application of this fast and sensitive camera to early detection of cancer through identification of rogue diseased cells such as circulating tumor cells.

Bahram Jalali is a Professor of Electrical Engineering at UCLA, a Fellow of IEEE and of the Optical Society of America, and recipient of the R.W. Wood Prize from Optical Society of America. In 2005 he was elected into the Scientific American Top 50, and received the BrideGate 20 Award in 2001 for his contributions to the Southern California economy. Dr. Jalali serves on the Board of Trustees of the California Science Center and the Board of Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. He has published over 350 journal and conference papers and holds 7 patents.

State of the art Supercontinuum Sources for Imaging, Frederik D. Nielsen, Jeppe Johansen, Weidong Sheng, Carsten L. Thomsen, NKT Photonics A/S, Denmark, New light sources have been pushed forward by OCT in the pursuit of speed and resolution throughout the history of the imaging modality. Amongst these sources are the high power fiber based Supercontinuum systems, which today offer unprecedented bandwidth and power compared to alternative light sources. The Supercontinuum sources span both the visible and near infrared part of spectrum. Hence they cover all the wavelength windows of interest for most OCT applications. In addition, they provide turn-key operation and low cost of ownership especially in applications were high power and high resolution is needed. As with any light source various characteristics have to be taken into account as part of the OCT integration. In the case of Supercontinuum sources this in particular relates to spectral shape and intensity noise. In this talk we will elaborate on this topic and present the properties of state of the art Supercontinuum sources and routes towards imaging with an axial resolution close to 1 μm. Furthermore we will present some of the intrinsic noise properties of Supercontinuum sources, and consider their possible implications with regards to OCT.

Frederik Donbæk Nielsen joined NKT Photonics A/S as a research scientist 5 years ago. He received his MS degree from the University of Aalborg and PhD from Risoe National Laboratory/COM, Technical University of Denmark. He has for over 10 years been involved in development of laser sources and measurement systems, spanning laser velocimetry, optical coherence tomography and supercontinuum system development.

From the Telecom Boom and Bust Towards Pervasive Spectroscopy, William Yang, BaySpec, Inc., USA, Instrumentation professionals have long recognized great potential for NIR spectroscopic analyzers in many application areas ranging from lab analysis to portable field monitors. Until now, however, NIR process analytical instrumentation were too big, too expensive, too fragile, and so sophisticated they required highly trained operators for “real-world” application use. Recent advances in high volume telecom device manufacturing presents a disruptive new picture today. The state-of-the-art NIR spectrometer today borrows largely from the massive investments made in telecom grade components over the last ten years. These include: transmission holographic volume phase gratings, linear array image sensors, miniature lasers and light sources, and solid-state computer chips. Collectively, these are now assembled into ultra-compact, no moving parts, low power consumption, hermetic, reliability-tested spectral engines that can run on batteries in a handheld form factor. Today’s spectral engines are designed to meet real-world challenges for best-in-class performance, long-term reliability, compact size, ultra-low power consumption at affordable prices. NIR spectrometers utilize telecom reliability-tested components and feature no moving parts for long term reliability and life-time calibration in the field. For the first time in instrumentation history an affordable, accurate and ruggedized spectral device is helping to fulfill the promise of NIR spectroscopy.

William Yang, PhD, is the President, CEO and co-founder of BaySpec, Inc. Dr. Yang received his BS and MS in Lasers and Optoelectronics from Tianjin University, and his PhD from the University of Waterloo in Laser Specroscopy. With over 20 years experience in applied spectroscopy, Dr Yang's industry experience covers semiconductor metrology, biomedical, ophthalmology, telecom and industrial spectroscopic device markets. Dr. Yang is a member of SPIE, OSA and the Society of American Photobiology.

Category C. Optical Devices for Switching, Filtering and Signal Compensation

OSuF, Does Optical Dispersion Compensation Have a Future? Chris Doerr; Bell Labs, Alcatel-Lucent, USA, Will the advent of intradyne coherent receivers, which can compensate fiber chromatic dispersion using digital signal processing, obviate the need for optical dispersion compensators (dispersion-compensating fiber, fiber Bragg gratings, etalons, etc.)? Electronic compensation is more flexible than optical compensation, however electronic compensation consumes significantly more power. For a single channel, electronic compensation is less expensive than optical compensation, but for a large number of channels optical compensation may have a lower overall cost. If optical dispersion compensators do survive, will they be mostly fixed or tunable? Single or multiple channel? Integrated or discrete? We will debate this issue from all sides.

If you would like to participate, please send an e-mail to Chris Doerr at crdoerr@alcatel-lucent.com. We will encourage the audience to ask tough questions, so be ready for a debate.

Speakers:
Martin Guy, Teraxion, Canada
Bengt Johansson, Proximion, Sweden
Robert Lingle, OFS Labs, USA
Daniel Mahgerefteh, Finisar, USA
Pavel Mamyshev, Mintera Corp., USA
Hiroshi Onaka, Fujitsu, Japan
Naoki Ooba, NTT Photonics Labs, Japan
Jeremie Renaudier, Alcatel-Lucent, France
Kim Roberts, Ciena, Canada
David Welch, Infinera, USA
Peter Wigley, Oclaro, USA

Category E. Digital Transmission Systems

OSuB, 100GbE and Its Transport over OTN: Current Status and Future Developments, Peter Winzer¹, Yutaka Miyamoto²; ¹Bell Labs, Alcatel-Lucent, USA, ²NTT Network Innovation Labs, Japan, After about 5 years of intense research and development, 100G transmission and switching is becoming a commercial reality. Standardization of 100G Ethernet (100GbE) by the IEEE will be finalized in 2010, and ITU-T based 100G Optical Transport Network (OTN) standardization of OTU4 digital framing is largely completed. At the same time, major component vendors and system integrators are nearing 100G product introduction, and data center operators as well as carriers are ready to roll out 100G technology. This workshop will focus on various aspects of 100GbE and its transport over OTN in the light of ongoing product development and deployment, including updates on the need for 100G technologies, 100G trials, 100G product development efforts,100G standardization, and future directions for 100G optical networking.

Speakers:
Category 1: IEEE and ITU-T Standardization and Testbed Activities
Osamu Ishida, NTT, Japan
Inder Monga, ESnet (Energy Sciences Network), USA

Category 2: Carriers and other system users
Peter Magill, AT&T Research, USA
Bert Basch, Verizon, USA
Masahito Tomizawa, NTT, Japan

Category 3: Transport systems
Maurice O’Sullivan, Nortel, Canada
Matthias Berger, Alcatel-Lucent, USA
Hiroshi Onaka, Fujitsu, Japan
Takashi Mizuochi, Mitsubishi, Japan

Category 4: Switching and routing

Gary Nicholl, Cisco, USA
Ken Kutzler, Alcatel-Lucent, USA

Category F. Transmission Subsystems and Network Elements

OSuE, How Can We Groom and Multiplex Data for Ultra-High-Speed Transmission? Klaus Grobe¹, Erwan Pincemin²; ¹ADVA AG Optical Networking, Germany, ²France Telecom R&D, France, We propose to the invited speakers and audience to debate around the technologies and network elements required to switch, route, and aggregate/disaggregate efficiently ultra-high data rates carried by WDM channels implemented in the coming generations of metro/core transport networks running at 40 and 100 Gbps per wavelength and higher. In order to make the optical transport network as flexible as possible, it is important to implement network elements, such as colorless/directionless reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers (ROADM) able to switch or route efficiently wavelengths and circuits at various data rates but also able to realize grooming/de-grooming operations on the big optical pipes arriving and leaving the network nodes. As an attendee, you should bring your own ideas, solutions, and questions. Many aspects of this problem and its solutions can be discussed. Among them are:

What is the optimum combination of the electrical and optical network elements’ functionality balancing cost, performance, flexibility, simplicity, energy efficiency?
In terms of optical wavelength switching and routing, is colorless/directionless ROADM the ultimate technology? Is it necessary to have flexible ROADM totally agnostic to the channel spacing and channel spectral occupancy? Are Optical Cross Connects (like those developed at the beginning of 2000s) necessary?
Does grooming/de-grooming of ultra-high data rate (i.e. 100 Gbps) have to be necessarily electrical? If not, what could be the transmission and switching technologies able to do that optically?
What does convergence of access, metro, and core networks involve for transmission and switching/routing technologies?

Speakers:
Cornelius Fürst, ADVA, USA
Ezra Ip, NEC Labs America, USA
Masahiko Jinno, NTT, Japan
David Neilson, Alcatel-Lucent, USA
Simon Poole, Finisar, USA
Bernhard Spinnler, Nokia Siemens Networks, Netherlands
Fritz-Joachim Westphal, Deutsche Telekom, Germany

Category G. Optical Processing and Analog Subsystems

OSuC, Can Radio over Fiber Provide Last-Mile Connectivity? Thomas Clark¹, Alwyn J. Seeds²; ¹Applied Physics Lab, John Hopkins Univ., USA, ²Univ. College London, UK, Radio over fiber technology has the potential to significantly improve the availability, accessibility, reliability and affordability of wireless communication networks. The potential for the modulation transparent and mixed format interconnection of these cells using passive optical networks should allow for the efficient deployment of new radio cells and/or upgrading of existing wireless networks without incurring the excessive costs of new fiber plant or central station upgrades. This workshop seeks to address the networking and physical layer technology advances and challenges required to realize these benefits.

Most importantly, this workshop seeks to be a forum for launching community conversation about the various radio over fiber options and opportunities. To achieve this, the workshop will be organized with a limited number of planned speakers to introduce key topics in 8 minute presentations. The rest of the time will be kept open for spontaneous audience participation and debate with audience speakers limited to no more than 2 prepared slides.

Suggested Topics:

Key applications and opportunities for RoF in PONs
RoF devices and technologies
Mixed format transport over PONs
RoF system architectures

Category I. Access Networks

OSuD, Beyond 10-Gb/s Passive Optical Networks – What’s Next? Patrick Iannone¹, Ellsworth Burrows III²; ¹AT&T Labs, USA, ²Alcatel-Lucent Technologies, USA, In little more than a decade, several generations of standardized TDM PONs have been commercialized with line rates increasing from 155 Mb/s to the current generation of gigabit PONs (1.25 GB/s for the IEEE-standardized EPON and 2.5 Gb/s for the ITU-T-standardized GPON). The next generation of standardized 10-Gb/s TDM PONs are relatively well defined and should be commercially available soon.

This workshop explores optical access technology and architectural options beyond 10-Gb/s TDM PON. Many experts doubt that TDM PONs can remain cost effective as the line rate is increased, which leaves this space wide open for new technology entrants such as WDM PON, hybrid TDM-CWDM PON, code-division multiplexed (CDM) PON, orthogonal frequency-division multiplexed (OFDM) PON, etc. Naturally, the success of any of these approaches is dependent not only on the system performance, but on the ultimate cost and performance of the underlying components and subsystems, as well as the fit with future (as yet undefined) services.

To ensure lively discussion, we are returning to a more traditional workshop format. All speakers will be limited to 2 slides and 5 minutes per trip to the microphone. Attendees are encouraged to participate by presenting their own slides (same ground rules apply), asking questions, or commenting. The organizers will provide an old fashioned overhead projector with pens and transparencies for those who want to draw up slides on the spot. Pre-prepared slides should be on a USB stick. PON dissenters are also encouraged to attend and participate.

Category J. Network Experiments and Non-Telecom Applications

OSuA, Dynamic Converged Optical Networking, Ioannis Tomkos; Athens Inst. of Telecomm, Greece, One fundamental challenge at this point of optical networking evolution, is to develop novel unifying technologies and solutions that are controlled by an intelligent control and management plane and achieve convergence in multiple levels of the network operation (i.e. access / metro / core network segments, optical / wireless technology domains, optical / network / service layer integration, optical circuit / burst / packet switching paradigms, single / multiple domain networks), thus reaching an optical infrastructure that will enable optimum and efficient end-to-end service delivery with the required performance guarantees.

The workshop goal is to address solutions for achieving this converged framework with emphasis on experimental demonstrations. High level speakers representing both industry and academia will present their opinions and a panel discussion will follow.

Speakers:
Joe Berthold, Ciena Corp.
Milorad Cvijetic, NEC America
Stuart Elby, Verizon
Andreas Gladish, Deutsche Telecom/T-Labs
Akira Hirano, NTT Network Innovation Labs
Peter MaGill, AT&T
Biswanath Mukherjee, Univ. of California at Davis
Adel Saleh, DARPA
Masatoshi Suzuki, KDDI

Dynamic Converged Optical Networking: Setting the Scene, Ioannis Tomkos; Athens Inst. of Telecomm, Greece. An overview of the challenges associated with dynamic converged optical networking will be presented. The different areas of convergence will be discussed and research activities targeting the development of relevant solutions will be outlined.

Network Resource Management for End-to-End QoS in Heterogeneous Networks, Masatoshi Suzuki, KDDI R&D Labs, Japan. A network resource management system to provide QoS guaranteed end-to-end path from heterogeneous access to core networks will be presented. In addition to MPLS and/or GMPLS light path in the core network, network resources in metro and access network can be reserved and end-to-end service with the required service quality can be provided. Experimental results will be presented.

Challenges and Opportunities of Converged Optical Networking, Andreas Gladisch, Deutsche Telekom, Germany. The constant growth of internet and increasing demands on bandwidth, flexibility and reliability results in a new quality of network architecture which combines packet and circuit functionalities. Besides these general trends there are topological factors, traffic structures, control plane functionalities and operational aspects that have to be considered to enable the take-off of the converged architecture. Finally there are cost requirements (CapEx and OpEx) factors which have to be fulfilled as well.

Optical Packet Transport, Stuart Elby, Verizon, USA. The integration of intelligent optical transport and packet switching promises to transform the network in terms of cost, flexibility, and new services opportunities. These benefits will be explored along with the technical challenges in realizing this vision.

Unified Application and Multilayer Network Management in Dynamic Converged Optical Networks , Akira Hirano, NTT Network Innovation Labs, Japan. NTT’s activities toward the realization of a converged platform that can provide all kinds of network-related services will be presented. A common interface to virtualize heterogeneous resources including computing, visualizing, and networking resources to make the approach possible will be discussed. In addition, results from field trials that have been contacted for the evaluation of the platform focusing on multi-layer network management aspects, will be highlighted. Finally, we will introduce recent standardization activities within OGF, ETSI and ITU-T.

To Be Announced, Peter MaGill, AT&T, USA

Automating the Dynamic Converged Optical Network – Out to the Edge, Down to the Photonic Layer, Joe Berthold, Ciena Corp., USA. Large networks of optical transport switches provide automated connection setup, fast mesh restoration, and deliver 6-9s of service availability today. With the evolution to converged optical networking platforms, with their ability to switch packets, circuits and waves in a coordinated way, automation will be ever more necessary and more valuable. We will also see the scale of automated converged optical networks extend from the core to the edge of the optical domain, enabling the expansion of dynamic optical services to a larger community of end users.

End-to End Packetized Bandwidth Delivery in Converged Optical Networks, Milorad Cvijetic, NEC Corp. of America, USA. There is increasing need to deliver packetized carrier-grade bandwidth to different categories of end users. High bandwidth consumption and quality of service criteria require optimized network architecture in both metro/core and access network segments. Herewith, we will discuss the architecture for converged optical networking assuming that 100 Gb transmission will be in its foundation.

Dynamic All-Optical Networking - From Chip-Scale to Global-Scale, Adel Saleh, DARPA, USA. It is argued that in networking applications ranging from chip-scale interconnects to global-scale communications, the cost and power consumption will be greatly reduced if the network is both all-optical and dynamic. The viability of optical circuit, burst and packet switching in these widely varied applications will also be discussed.

Network Convergence in the Future Internet, Biswanath Mukherjee, Univ. of California at Davis, USA.

The Future Internet is expected to demonstrate network convergence across multiple dimensions: convergence among access/metro/core network segments; convergence among optical and wireless technologies; and convergence among the physical, network, and services layers, including energy-conservation issues. Such an integrated converged network platform can support efficient end-to-end service delivery, so the Future Internet should combine different network technologies under a unified control and management framework. Important R&D problems across the above dimensions will be outlined.

A panel discussion will follow after the presentations. If you have specific questions for the speakers please e-mail them to the workshop chair in advance of the event at itom@ait.edu.gr.

NFOEC 1: Optical Networks and Services

NSuA, Green Optical Networks: From Access to Core, Hans-Martin Foisel; Deutsche Telekom, Germany, Broadband for all – the numerous initiatives of broadband network deployments around the globe are revealing a considerable downside of these activities: A significant increase of power consumption of the telecommunication equipment and attached customer gears! Continuing work as in the past is not an option!
In this workshop different views of carriers, vendors, R&D, standardisation bodies and initiatives on this new telecommunication challenge will be presented, covering:

New network design and architectures – allocation of functions
Evaluation of different technologies – from routers to optical network elements
New approaches to in-house networks
Content and processing power allocation – from customer end devices to carrier networks

Speakers include:

Vijay Gill, Google, USA
Jim Jones, Alcatel-Lucent, USA
Christoph Lange, Deutsche Telekom, Germany
John Rathke, Verizon, USA
Rodney Stuart Tucker, Univ. of Melbourne, Australia

Monday, March 22, 8:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

Category A. Fibers and Optical Propagation Effects

OME, Micro/Nanofibers: Are They Here to Stay? Misha Sumetsky, OFS Labs, USA, Applications of optical micro/nanofibers attracted noticeable attention in recent years. Microfibers are used as means for connection to photonic devices (e.g., to microcavities and photonic crystals) as well as basic photonic elements including microfiber-based resonators, lasers, and sensors. Microfiber bends, loops, knots, coils, splices, and couplers have been demonstrated. On the other hand, there exist controversial opinions on the prospects for practical applications of micro/nanofibers. The goal of this workshop is to discuss and identify the opportunities of optical micro/nanofibers for commercial applications and fundamental science.

A lively discussion including positive, negative, and challenging opinions will be encouraged from all in attendance at this workshop. Bring slides on a USB stick if they will help you make a point.

Among the topics that you can discuss are the following:

What are the unique features of micro/nanofibers and how, if at all, do these features make them suitable for photonic devices?
What important problems have been solved by the use of micro/nanofibers?
What are the major challenges to future research or practical implementations of micro/nanofibers?
Is mass production of micro/nanofiber based devices a practical goal?
What are their relevant applications? Are they suitable building blocks for a photonic circuit? Are micro/nanofiber-based devices sufficiently robust for commercial applications? Are there better ways to achieve the same functionality?
Do micro/nanofiber photonics have a bright future, and if so, will that future be found in the pages of a journal, the balance sheet of a profitable business, or both?

Speakers:
G. Brambilla, Univ. of Southampton
N. Broderick, Univ. of Southampton
B. Eggleton, Univ. of Sydney
X. Fan, Univ. of Missouri at Columbia
K.P. Nayak, Univ. of Electro-Communications
A. Rauschenbeutel, Johannes Gutenberg-Univ. Mainz
M. Sumetsky, OFS Labs
J. Villatoro, Inst. de Ciències Fotòniques
F. Vollmer, Harvard Wyss Inst.

Category D. Optoelectronic Devices

OMC, Which Optical Devices/Components Can Enable Future Advanced Modulation Formats? Liam Barry¹, Martin Schell²; ¹Dublin City Univ., Ireland, ²Heinrich-Hertz-Inst. Fraunhofer, Germany, New modulation formats are currently being proposed to enhance the performance and spectral efficiency of optical communications systems in core, metro, and access networks. These implementation of these advanced modulation formats such as QPSK, N-QAM, and OFDM in optically coherent communication systems requires specific photonic and optoelectronic devices and components that are suitable for such coherent photonic systems. These devices include low linewidth lasers, optical I-Q modulators, coherent optical receivers, etc. This workshop will explore the most suitable photonic and optoelectronic components for enabling practical and cost efficient coherent optical systems.

The workshop will discuss the various pro and cons of these devices and look to determine which components will be most suitable for the practical implementation of advanced modulation formats in core, metro, and access networks.

Speakers:
Chris Doerr, Bell Labs, Alcatel-Lucent, USA
Christophe Kasmierski, Alcatel 3-5 Labs, France
Martin Schell, Heinrich Hertz Inst., Germany
Huug de Waardt, COBRA Inst., The Netherlands
Dirk van den Borne, Nokia Siemens, Germany
David Welch, Infinera, USA
Hiroshi Yamazaki, NTT, Japan
S. Ben Yoo, Univ. California at Davis, USA

Category F. Transmission Subsystems and Network Elements

OMA, 1 TbE Transport – Why, When and How? Andrew Ellis¹, Seb Savory²; ¹Tyndall Natl. Inst., Ireland, ²Univ. College London, UK, Given the rapid growth of internet traffic it is predicted in some quarters that in the near future we will need transport systems with capacities approaching 1 Tb/s. This workshop will examine the motivation behind such predictions and discuss the potential requirements for transponders offering such capacities. The workshop will also cover technological choices that will enable 1 Tb/s through physical layer technologies and techniques, both electronic and optical, in addition to the opportunities and challenges of switching ultra-high capacity channels.

To facilitate the necessary debate, the workshop will be divided into three sessions, covering: the network requirements for 1-Tb/s transport, the enabling optical and electronic transmission technologies and finally the strategies for optical networking. In each session two speakers with opposing views will introduce the topic, following which the audience will be invited to make individual contributions. All speakers will be limited to one electronic slide, two overhead transparencies or two questions and strictly a maximum of 5 minutes per trip to the microphone. The organizers will provide an overhead projector with pens and transparencies for those who want to draw up slides on the spot. Pre-prepared slides should be on a USB stick. Proponents and dissenters are equally encouraged to attend and participate. In the final 5 minutes of each of the three sessions the session co-chairs will attempt to summarize the discussion.

Category G. Optical Processing and Analog Subsystems

OMD, Is All-Optical Processing Green? Javier Marti¹, Keith Williams²; ¹Univ. Politecnica de Valencia, Spain, ²NRL, USA, The tremendous growth of huge bandwidth consuming Internet applications (e.g. video & photograph up/downloading) is pushing on high-speed processing requirements in optical network nodes. Power consumption seriously limits scaling up electronics processing capabilities. Low power consumption intends to be an important driver to incorporate all-optical processing (AOP). However, a detailed comparison among different processing technologies based on high-speed all electronics, hybrid opto-electronics and all-optical in terms of power consumption has to be established for different processing functionalities in fiber optic networks.

The workshop addresses relevant key notes and further discussion on how AOP compares to all electrical processing and to hybrid opto-electronic processing in terms of power consumption efficiency. Figures of merit have to be defined to establish a fair comparison. Key visions on AOP's opportunities in both ultra-high speed network node equipments (routing, demultiplexing, etc) and high-performance computing will also be addressed.

Category H. Core Networks

OMF, Are All-Optical Networks Manageable? Dan Kilper; Bell Labs, Alcatel-Lucent, USA, This workshop will probe difficult questions related to managing large optically-transparent networks. Using ROADM technologies, mesh networks are realized with many attributes different from traditional point-to-point transmission systems, e.g. planning tools are required to configure these systems with interest in using transmission impairments in routing decisions. Key questions to be addressed include:

Can transparent networks be accurately planned?
Is impairment aware routing useful? Is it even solvable?
Can a network be too big? Should we go translucent?
Can transients be controlled? Are they really a problem?

Interested participants are encouraged to send slides to the organizer: dkilper@alcatel-lucent.com or bring them to the workshop. Both invited and contributing participants are limited to 2 slides per topic. An open floor format will be used to encourage discussion.

Category I. Access Networks

OMB, Beyond the Door Step: Can Fiber Also Invade the Home? Ton Koonen¹, Dalma Novak²; ¹Eindhoven Univ. of Technology, Netherlands, ²Pharad, LLC, USA, Fiber has become the predominant transmission medium in nearly all parts of telecommunication networks, starting in long-haul international and national trunk lines, next in metropolitan networks, and now penetrating the access networks all the way towards our homes. But the battle for getting fiber into the home, beyond the doorstep, is still ahead. There are many established competitors, such as cat-5/7 cable, power line communication, wireless LAN and others. What can fiber offer more than they can? Capacity? Flexibility? Ease of installation? Upgradeability? Lower cost? How can fiber efficiently team up with other well-accepted technologies, such as wireless?

The workshop will facilitate lively discussion in this area among the participants. After introductions by speakers knowledgeable in various areas of in-home network technologies, the floor is yours. So please bring your ideas and let them be heard!

NFOEC 2: Network Technologies

NMA, Network Technologies for Large Data Centers, Cedric Lam; Google Inc., USA, Cloud computing has become a growing trend in future Internet communities. Instead of relying on localized data and applications programs stored on individual end-user computers, data centers equipped with massive parallel processors and centralized storage is time shared among network users as virtual machines. End user systems function as simple terminals with thin clients providing interface to data center facilities. A new data-center communication infrastructure is needed for cloud computing realization. Unlike in traditional backbone communications networks, where bit-rate-times-distance product is used as the performance metric, data center network connection performance measured by the bit-rate-times-port-count product. This workshop provides an interactive forum for technologists and data center operators to exchange ideas on requirements and innovations for data center network connections.

Speakers:
Frank Chang, Vitesse Semiconductor, USA
Dennis Abts, Google, USA
Loukas Paraschis, Cisco, USA
Arlon Martin, Kotura, USA
Donn Lee, Facebook, USA
Albert Greenburg, Microsoft Corp., USA

Panels

Tuesday, March 23, 4:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.

NFOEC 2: Network Technologies

NTuD, Integrated Packet/Sub-Wavelength Multiplexing for IP-over-DWDM Networks, Angela L. Chiu; AT&T Lab, USA, Today's core IP/OL networks have wedded the router interface to the optical layer wavelength transmission rate (40Gb/s). However, the vast majority of router pairs do not have sufficient traffic to justify a full 40Gb/s link. The result is demultiplexing via intermediate routers using expensive router interfaces. This panel session explores network elements with integrated packet routing and sub-wavelength multiplexing as a more efficient alternative. The panel will consist of experts from major service providers and equipment vendors. They will cover the following topics:

Main economical drivers;
Several main architectures and designs;
Key elements in data plane, control plane, and management planes to realize the potential cost savings;
Major challenges and potential roadblocks

Speakers:
Gagan Choudhury, AT&T Labs
Paulie Germano, Google
Ori Gerstel, Cisco Systems
Bruce Nelson, Alcatel-Lucent
Jack Oltman, Ciena
Glenn Wellbrock, Verizon

Wednesday, March 24, 3:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m.

Watch Chairs Discuss Photonic Integration

NFOEC 1: Optical Networks and Services

NWD, IP over DWDM, Roman Egorov; Verizon Labs, USA, As network operators are starting to transform their infrastructure to support packet services, the optical networking industry is going through the phase where equipment vendors are starting to develop next generation platforms that integrate support for both TDM and packet transport. While the integration concept is generally agreed upon by the industry, its implementation is quite different depending on the background of a particular carrier or equipment vendor. Vendors, that traditionally developed hardware for photonic and TDM transport, view packet switch integration as a path forward. On the other hand, packet switch vendors perceive photonic integration on their interface cards as a step forward. The goal of this panel is to provide a view from carriers and equipment vendors on how this integration should proceed.

Speakers:
Glenn Wellbrock, Verizon
Zeljko Bulut, Nokia-Siemens
Bikash Koley, Google
David Boertjes, Nortel
Jeff Madox, Cisco Systems

Thursday, March 25, 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.

NFOEC 1: Optical Networks and Services

NThD, Next Gen PON Technologies: Capabilities and Deployment Challenges, Frank Effenberger; Huawei Technologies, USA, As gigabit class PON technologies are becoming commonplace, we must now consider the next steps in PON technology. This panel will gather experts from major operators and technology companies to consider all the issues that arise from this consideration, including:

Enhancements of current systems for wider splitting ratio or longer reach
Time-lines for development, trial, and deployment of new technology
Scenarios that are most likely to see NG-PON first
Compatibility with existing systems (PON and otherwise)
The practical management of rolling customers from one system to the other
New applications or deployment styles that the technology makes possible
Cost and business analysis

Speakers:
Vijay Gill, Google, USA
Jim Jones, Alcatel-Lucent, USA
Christoph Lange, Deutsche Telekom, Germany
John Rathke, Verizon, USA
Rodney Stuart Tucker, Univ. of Melbourne, Australia

NFOEC 2: Network Technologies

NThC, Recent Advances in Optical Connectors, Ryo Nagase; NTT Photonics Labs, Japan, Various optical fiber connectors have been developed during the 25 years since optical fiber communications systems were first put into practical use. Today, high performance and high power durable connectors are needed for trunk lines, extremely low cost connectors are required for home photonics, and small sized multi-fiber connectors are needed for on board optical wiring and parallel optical interconnection use for high speed signal transmission. The purpose of this panel is to discuss the latest technologies, recent issues related to various requirements, and the state of optical connector standardization.