A Discrete-Time Model for Uncompensated Single-Channel Fiber-Optical Links

An analytical discrete-time model is introduced for single-wavelength polarization multiplexed nonlinear fiber-optical channels based on the symmetrized split-step Fourier method (SSFM). According to this model, for high enough symbol rates, a fiber-optic link can be described as a linear dispersive channel with additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) and a complex scaling. The variance of this AWGN noise and the attenuation are computed analytically as a function of input power and channel parameters. The results illustrate a cubic growth of the noise variance with input power. Moreover, the cross effect between the two polarizations and the interaction of amplifier noise and the transmitted signal due to the nonlinear Kerr effect are described. In particular, it is found that the channel noise variance in one polarization is affected twice as much by the transmitted power in that polarization than by the transmitted power in the orthogonal polarization. The effect of pulse shaping is also investigated through numerical simulations. Finally, it is shown that the analytical performance results based on the new model are in close agreement with numerical results obtained using the SSFM for a symbol rate of 28 Gbaud and above.