Performance limit of long-distance WDM dispersion-managed transmission system using higher order dispersion compensation fibers

In conventional long-distance wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) dispers ion-managed transmission systems, since both the dispersion-shifted fiber ( DSF) and the standard single-mode fiber (SMF) have positive dispersion slop e, perfect dispersion compensation can be achieved only for a single wavele ngth channel, The transmission window of such systems is severely limited b y the interplay between the self-phase modulation and the residual dispersi on. In contrast, WDM dispersion-managed systems comprised of a SMF followed by a higher order dispersion compensation fiber (DCF) with opposite second - and third-order dispersions can clear out this drawback. We investigate t he performance limit of 10-, 20-, and 40-Gb/s WDM systems employing the hig her order DCF by extensive computer simulations.