Success Story

AI requires server and network performance that scale computing resources within reasonable energy bounds. Using the Keysight 260 GSa/s AWG and a wide-bandwidth I/Q modulator, this setup achieved 260 GBaud without complex signal-processing compensation, and net bit rates above 2 Tbits/s.

Nokia Bell Labs - Keysight

Breaking the 260 GBaud Barrier

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Nokia Bell Labs Case Study Highlights

Leader in Network Innovation

Nokia is a leader in network innovation, with Nokia Bell Labs at the forefront of its research efforts. As one of the world's most influential industrial research institutions, Nokia Bell Labs combines fundamental science with applied engineering to solve some of the toughest challenges in communications and beyond. Its work focuses on building sustainable, high-impact technologies that support the future of networking.

Scaling Per-Wavelength Data Rates

As bandwidth demand continues to grow, networks are evolving toward higher symbol rates to increase data capacity while managing component count, cost, and power. At speeds beyond 220 GBaud, two front-end components become key constraints: the DAC, where bandwidth above 65 GHz introduces resolution and output swing tradeoffs, and the Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM), which must support extreme bandwidth. Addressing these constraints has traditionally required nonlinear DSP and maximum likelihood sequence estimation (MLSE), adding significant system complexity.

High-Bandwidth Signal Generation and Modulation

Nokia Bell Labs partnered with Keysight to explore how to push coherent transmission beyond existing symbol rate limits. Using Keysight's 260 GSa/s AWG and a thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) I/Q modulator, the team built a test setup capable of delivering ultra-wide bandwidth signals. The high-bandwidth performance of the AWG and TFLN modulator enabled operation at significantly higher symbol rates, while avoiding the need for complex nonlinear DSP and MLSE. This approach provided a streamlined path to overcoming front-end bandwidth constraints in advanced coherent systems.

Scaling Long-Haul Beyond 2 Tbit/s

The result was a record-setting 260 GBaud DP-QPSK coherent transmission over 100 km of standard single-mode fiber, demonstrating a clear path to scaling long-haul transport beyond 2 Tbit/s per wavelength. By removing the need for nonlinear DSP and MLSE, the architecture simplifies system design while improving efficiency. The achievement also underscores the growing importance of energy-efficient transponders as AI-driven network demands continue to accelerate.
Haïk Mardoyan, senior research scientist at Nokia Bell Labs

“This result is a first milestone to scale long-haul data transport systems beyond 2 Tbit/s per wavelength. Improving the energy efficiency of transponders is a permanent challenge for the industry.”

Haïk Mardoyan
Senior Research Scientist at Nokia Bell Labs

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Keysight and Nokia Bell Labs Demonstrate 260 GBaud Data Transmission

DP-QPSK transmission over 100 km fiber, validating >2 Tbit/s per wavelength and improved transponder efficiency.

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Validating High-Baud-Rate Coherent Optical Transmission

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