Memorial Advanced Research Laboratory for Optical and Wireless Communications (MARLOWC)

About | People | Location | Equipment 

About

The Memorial Advanced Research Lab for Optical and Wireless Communications (MARLOWC) hosts research students and postdoctoral fellows working under the supervision of Professors Octavia A. Dobre, Cheng Li, Telex M. N. Ngatched, and Ramachandran Venkatesan. They tackle important problems in wireless and optical communications systems, e.g., related to full-duplex transmission, non-orthogonal multiple access, computational task offloading, resource allocation, signal intelligence, optical performance monitoring, and fibre nonlinearity compensation.

The equipment in MARLOWC supports the testing of high-performance algorithms developed by the research group, related but not limited to:

  • Spectrum monitoring and signal identification
  • Parameter estimation, signal detection and interference cancellation
  • Optical performance monitoring
  • Fibre nonlinearity compensation

People

  • Dr. Octavia A. Dobre
    • Wireless communications and networking
    • Optical communications
    • Underwater communications
    • Machine learning for communications and networking
    • Signal processing for communications
  • Dr. Telex M. N. Ngatched
    • 5G and 6G enabling technologies
    • Optical wireless communications
    • Hybrid optical wireless and radio frequency communications
    • Artificial intelligence and machine learning for communications
    • Underwater communications
  • Dr. Cheng Li
    • Wireless sensor networks
    • Mobile ad hoc networks
    • Vehicular networks
    • Broadband communications networks
    • Wireless communications and mobile computing
  • Dr. Ramachandran Venkatesan 
    • Parallel processing architectures and applications
    • Underwater communications
    • Error control codes
    • Digital design
    • Sensor networks

Location

CSF 5102
Core Science Facility
Memorial University of Newfoundland
St. John's, NL

Equipment

Transmitter Side
Arbitrary Waveform Generator

Manufacturer: Tektronix
Model: AWG7002A
Specifications: 

  • Generation of high baud rate analog IQ signals
  • Up to 25 Gsa/s sampling rate, wideband signals up to 20 GHz
  • 16 Gsample waveform memory (640 ms @25 Gsa/s)
  • 10 bits vertical resolution
Modulator RF driver (amplifier)

Manufacturer: Microsemi
Model: OA3MMQM
Specifications:

  • Amplify the analog signals generated by the AWG before driving the I/Q modulator
  • Quad channels
  • 5 Vpp output
  • 20 dB small signal gain
  • 35 GHz bandwidth
I/Q Modulator + evaluation board

Manufacturer: Teraxion
Model: IQM-CAA-E21
Specifications: 

  • Electro-optical conversion
  • High bandwidth (35 GHz)
  • Low optical insertion loss (12 dB)
  • Low switch-off voltage (2.5 V)
  • 20 dB extinction ratio
Transmission Medium
Single-Mode Optical Fiber (~20km)

Specifications:

  • Suitable for operation over the full optical spectrum from 1260-1625 nm
  • Low attenuation: less than 0.2 dB/km in 1550 nm
  • Dispersion coefficient smaller than 18 ps/(nm• km) in 1550 nm
Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifier and Control Board

Specifications: 

  • APC or AGC control modes
  • Flat spectrum over the gain range of 15-30 dB
  • Output power up to 17 dBm
  • Low noise figure
  • Low power dissipation
Recirculating Loop Control System

Specifications: 

  • Enable a very economical and flexible way to emulate transoceanic and terrestrial systems of multi-thousand kilometres
  • Wavelength band: 1528-1600 nm
Receiver Side
Integrated coherent receiver (1)

Manufacturer: Neophotonics
Model: 1000025468
Specifications: 

  • Used as alternative ICR
  • OIF complaint
  • C-band
  • Supports up to 32 Gbaud symbol rate (100 Gb/s DP-QPSK or 200 Gb/s DP-16-QAM)
Integrated coherent receiver (2)

Manufacturer: Finisar
Model: CPRV1222A
Specifications: 

  • Opto-electric conversion. Coherent detection of optical signals
  • OIF compliant
  • Supports up to 32 Gbaud symbol rate (100 Gb/s DP-QPSK or 200 Gb/s DP-16-QAM)
  • 25 GHz bandwidth on each lane
  • C-band
  • Automatic/manual gain control
  • Linear amplifier with peak detector output
Integrated tunable laser assembly + evaluation board

Manufacturer: Pure Photonics
Model: PPCL200, PPEB200
Specifications: 

  • Local oscillator to ICR for coherent detection
  • Narrow linewidth (10 kHz)
  • Variable output power between 7 dBm and 18 dBm
  • Tunable wavelength over C and L bands

 

Digital Phosphorous Oscilloscope

Manufacturer: Tektronics
Model: DPO 72304DX
Specifications: 

  • Sampling signals for offline DSP
  • Up to 100 Gsa/s sampling rate
  • 4 channels with up to 1 G points record length
  • Up to 33 GHz bandwidth
Monitoring/Measuring
Optical spectrum analyzer

Manufacturer: Anritsu
Model: MS9740A
Specifications: 

  • Evaluate characteristics of optical signals (spectral width, OSNR, optical power level)
  • 600 nm-1750 nm wavelength measurement range
  • Dynamic range performance ≥60 dB (0.4 nm from peak wavelength)
  • 30 pm minimum resolution bandwidth
  • ±20 pm wavelength accuracy
Optical power meter

Manufacturer: EXFO
Model: FPM-600
Specifications:  

  • Optical power measurement
  • 800-1650 nm wavelength measurement range
  • -70-10 dBm input power range
  • ±0.01 dB resolution
RF power sensor/ meter

Manufacturer: Tektronix
Model: PSM3310
Specifications:

  • Average electrical power measurement; duty cycle corrected pulse measurement; measurement logging
  • 10 MHz - 18 GHz input frequency range
  • -55 dBm - 20 dBm dynamic input power range