Abstract

Wavelength multiplexing promises substantial capacity enhancement in interoffice telecommunications networks while preserving the survivability features that have recently become prominent.^1-3 Currently envisioned network architectures require that a set of wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) signals traverse a cascade of fiber amplifiers, with the number of offices, geographic size, and capacity typically determined by the number of WDM channels that can be supported. The amplifiers’ nonflat gain spectra will impose size and capacity limits that depend on the specific network architecture. These limits are not currently known. We show that a class of unidirectional WDM ring networks’ can be configured so that the amplifier cascade will support a signal set with 14 wavelengths separated by 2-nm intervals, which is sufficient for a 15-office network.

© 1993 Optical Society of America