Recent Advances for Next-Generation High-Speed Optical Networks: Technologies, Components, Systems and Architectures

Dear Colleagues,

Telecommunications is at a pivotal juncture due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Modern networks, which are already burdened with extensive traffic demands, must now meet the surging need for connectivity. Simultaneously, data center operators are feverishly constructing new facilities to accommodate high-capacity, low-latency requirements that are pushing them to the brink. While discussions regarding the next-generation high-speed transceivers and high-capacity switches are ongoing, the clamor for eco-friendly and cost-effective solutions is encouraging the adoption of innovative, converged network architectures. One significant milestone is the incorporation of photonic sensors to monitor resource allocation within networks.

Recently advanced Si- and InP-based photonic platforms have scaled the per lane speed up to 100G and even 200G, facilitating the next generation of Tb/s capacity transceivers. The quest to develop novel active and passive building blocks that will address these future requirements in a low-cost and scalable way continues. In parallel, a great amount of effort has been put into diminishing the disparity between the bandwidth of the photonic components and the interfacing digital electronics.

For the deployment of next-generation metro/core networks, the combination of sliceable bandwidth variable transceivers and reconfigurable switching nodes is gaining momentum, allowing the effective allocation of resources and facilitating the programmability of the network. Solutions are yet required for end-to-end all-optical implementations that will remove the need for electro-optical conversions. At the same time, low-cost coherent optics are an appealing alternative for the interconnection of data centers within a critical distance of 10-80 km, where traditional IM/DD approaches cannot overcome the limitations that the channel imposes. While on the access side, the coherent approach is gaining momentum to address the huge bandwidth needs that are required.

Authors are invited to submit manuscripts within the scope of the Special Issue including, but not limited to, the following topics:

• High-speed transceivers and switches;
• Photonic Integrated Circuits;
• Optical components, sub-systems, and devices;
• Network architectures;
• Switch architectures;
• Optical Communication Technologies;
• Photonics-Electronics synergies and Co-Packaged Optics;
• Neuromorphic circuits;
• Photonic Sensors for Network Monitoring;
• Quantum transceivers.

Dr. Giannis Kanakis
Dr. Maria Spyropoulou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Photonics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• metro networks
• data center interconnects
• access networks
• coherent PON
• high-speed transceivers
• switches
• network architectures
• PICs
• optical technologies
• optical components
• co-packaged optics
• neuromorphic circuits
• photonic sensors