Modeling of burst mode 2R optical regenerator cascades for long-haul optical networks

A complete system-level model for cascades of burst mode 2R optical regenerators (BMOR), each consisting of an optical limiting amplifier (LA) followed by an optical re-shaper, is presented for optical packet/burst-switched optical networks. The major distinction compared to continuous-mode 2R OR is that a BMOR can successfully handle the large power variations because of the LA, and the impact of inclusion of this into the system analysis is presented here. The bit error rate is evaluated along a cascade of identical BMORs, interspersed with heterogeneous inter-regenerator links (i.e., varying amplified spontaneous emission noise and net gains) which further complicate the burst mode case relative to the continuous mode. The dependency of performance of the cascade on the characteristics of the LA is investigated.