Reducing the Number of Transceivers with Probabilistic Constellation Shaping in Flex-Grid over MCF Optical Backbone Networks

This paper quantifies the potential reduction in the number of required transceivers that the use of probabilistic constellation shaping (PCS) can bring to Flex-Grid over multicore fiber (MCF) optical backbone networks, which can directly lead to a reduction in network capital expenditure (CAPEX). Results from two different backbone networks illustrate that PCS can significantly decrease the number of required transceivers compared to using traditional modulation formats, thanks to the finer granularity in spectral efficiency. The observed reduction becomes more prominent (up to 22.3%) as the traffic profile bitrates and the network physical distances increase.