SYSTEM DEGRADATION DUE TO MULTIPATH COHERENT CROSSTALK IN WDM NETWORKNODES

This paper shows-both experimentally and through Monte Carlo simulatio n-that in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) lightwave networks co herent crosstalk in network nodes causes multipath fading on a seconds to minutes time scale. The result of such fading is that the bit erro r rate (BER) fluctuates significantly as a function of time. We find t hat for eight crosstalk paths a signal-to-crosstalk ratio (SXR) greate r than 40 dB is required to make this fading negligible, The simulatio n also shows that for 32 crosstalk paths an SXR as much as 55 dB is re quired to combat the crosstalk penalty.