BY GAVIN MACKINTOSH
Researchers from the Optical Networks Group at University College London (UCL) c have achieved a land mark record for the fastest ever data rate for digital information.
They achieved a rate of 1.125 Tbit/s in the course of their research on the capacity limits of optical transmission systems, which was designed to address the growing demand for fast data rates.
Leading researcher, Dr Robert Maher of UCL Electronic & Electrical Engineering, told The eye of media: “For comparison this is almost 50,000 times greater than the average speed of a UK broadband connection of 24Mbit/s, which is the current speed defining ‘superfast’ broadband.”The team determined the best way of encoding information in optical signals, taking into account the limitations of the transmitter and receiver.
The researches subsequently applied coding techniques commonly used in wireless communications, but not yet widely used in optical communications to ensure the transmitted signals are adapted to distortions in the system electronics. The researchers custom built an optical communication system with 15 channels, carrying an optical signal of different wavelength which were modulated using the 256QAM format typically used in cable modems, combined and sent to a single optical receiver for detection.
After bundling the channels together in a group, the team proceeded to create a ‘super-channel’ which although not yet commercially available, sets the standard and by so doing has become the pace setter for the next generation of high-capacity communication systems.
Maher believes the high bandwidth will enable them to receive an entire super channel in one go, which is significant because of their integral importance and relevance to core optical communications system.
”Using a single receiver varies the levels of performance of each optical sub-channel so we had to finely optimise both the modulation format and code rate for each optical channel individually to maximise the net information data rate”, he added. Amazingly, the level of expertise ised to conduct this research has led to the fastest and greatest information rate ever recorded using a single receiver. The University College of London is a renowned research Univeristy inspired by the radical ideas of Jeremy Bentham. One of the most reputable universities in the country, it boasts top lecturers in their field and is home to one of the brightest pupils in the country and indeed, the world. It has a stringent high entry requirement, usually stipulating the need for all A’s at A levels.
The group will now test the system to measure the achievable data rates in a long distance transmission scenario where optical signals can become distorted as they travel through thousands of kilometres of optical fibres. What an extra ordinary scientific achievement. The University is crediting for producing the brains behind the invention of the telephone and one of the co-discoveries of the structure of the DNA. This new invention adds to their list of exceptional innovations and is bound to continue to mark them as one of the most gifted Universities in the country.
