Multiplexing

Key (lock)

Mathematics

Domain (mathematical analysis)

Computer architecture

Engineering

Mathematical analysis

Parallel computing

Massively parallel

Composite material

Materials science

Optical fiber

Electronic engineering

Geometry

Computer science

Parallelism (grammar)

Computer security

Fiber

Transmission (telecommunications)

Telecommunications

Scaling

Proceedings of the IEEE

In order to overcome the capacity limitations of current lightwave systems based on the single-mode optical fiber, massively parallel transmission in the spatial domain [space-division multiplexing (SDM)] supported by extended parallelism in the frequency domain (ultrawideband (UWB) systems) must be used. This article reviews key aspects of parallel transmission systems as the only significant capacity scaling option going forward and discusses the various tradeoffs on an architectural level and a hardware integration level. In doing so, this article also serves as an introduction to the more detailed accounts of fiber-optic systems and their future scaling within this Special Issue of the Proceedings of the IEEE.

The Role of Parallelism in the Evolution of Optical Fiber Communication Systems