Modulation format identification in coherent receivers using deep machine learning

Abstract

We propose a novel technique for modulation format identification (MFI) in digital coherent receivers by applying deep neural network (DNN) based pattern recognition on signals' amplitude histograms obtained after constant modulus algorithm (CMA) equalization. Experimental results for three commonly-used modulation formats demonstrate MFI with an accuracy of 100% over a wide optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) range. The effects of fiber nonlinearity on the performance of MFI technique are also investigated. The proposed technique is non-data-aided (NDA) and avoids any additional hardware on top of standard digital coherent receiver. Therefore, it is ideal for simple and cost-effective MFI in future heterogeneous optical networks.