Circuit architecture of a sub-GHz resolution panoramic C band on-chip spectral sensor

TL;DR

This paper presents a compact on-chip spectral sensor with sub-GHz resolution for the entire C-band, enabling precise optical spectrum monitoring crucial for SDN-enabled optical networks.

Contribution

It introduces a novel circuit architecture for high-resolution, on-chip spectrometry covering the full C-band, validated through industry-standard software and practical fabrication considerations.

Findings

Achieved high spectral resolution across the C-band

Validated design performance with industry-standard tools

Demonstrated practical fabrication feasibility

Abstract

Monitoring the state of the optical network is a key enabler for programmability of network functions, protocols and efficient use of the spectrum. A particular challenge is to provide the SDN-EON controller with a panoramic view of the complete state of the optical spectrum. This paper describes the architecture for compact on-chip spectrometry targeting high resolution across the entire C-band to reliably and accurately measure the spectral profile of WDM signals in fixed and flex-grid architectures. An industry standard software tool is used to validate the performance of the spectrometer. The fabrication of the proposed design is found to be practical.