Two signal multiplexing schemes for optical fiber communication are considered: Wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) and nonlinear frequency-division multiplexing (NFDM), based on the nonlinear Fourier transform (NFT). Achievable information rates (AIRs) of NFDM and WDM are compared in a network scenario with an ideal lossless model of the optical fiber in the defocusing regime. It is shown that the NFDM AIR is greater than the WDM AIR subject to a bandwidth and average power constraint, in a representative system with one symbol per user. The improvement results from nonlinear signal multiplexing.
@article{arxiv.1603.04389,
title = {Linear and Nonlinear Frequency-Division Multiplexing},
author = {Mansoor I. Yousefi and Xianhe Yangzhang},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1603.04389},
year = {2018}
}