512 QAM transmission over 240 km using frequency-domain equalization in a digital coherent receiver

Abstract

We demonstrate a marked performance improvement in a 512 QAM transmission by employing frequency-domain equalization (FDE) instead of an FIR filter. FDE enables us to compensate for distortions due to hardware imperfections in the transmitter with higher precision, which successfully reduced the power penalty by 4 dB in a 54 Gbit/s (3 Gsymbol/s)-160 km transmission. FDE also allows the transmission distance to be extended up to 240 km.