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ACNLAdvanced Communication Networks Laboratory

Projects / Completed

Flexible Spectrum Allocation in Next-Generation Optical Networks

$350KNational Science Foundation, CNS Core
2020 to 2024period
6papers acknowledging the award
2lab students and alumni on the work

The project

Spectrum allocation algorithms for elastic optical networks, the line of work that led to the FUSION simulator.

PI Vinod Vokkarane.

Award number: 2008530

Students

Arash Rezaee, Ryan McCann

From the authors of the papers acknowledging this award.

Architecture

FUSION, built on this award: reinforcement learning over a software-defined optical mesh.
AI services over a software-defined, multi-layer optical network.

What the work found

  • Experimental Determination of Filter Bandwidth Requirements for Coherent Pluggable Transceivers in Optical Data Center Networks (2026): Quantifies passband needs for flexible-grid ROADMs.
  • FUSION: A Unified Benchmarking Framework for Reproducible Optical Network Research (2026): Reproducible benchmarks for optical networking research.
  • QoT-Aware Dynamic Resource Allocation and Grooming in Multi-Band Space-Division Multiplexing Networks (2026): Grooming with QoT awareness improves capacity use.
  • QoT-Aware Spectral and Spatial Scaling Trade-offs in Multi-Band Space Division Multiplexing over EONs [Invited] (2026): Quantifies when spectral versus spatial scaling pays off.

From the lab\'s research record, where each paper is summarized as a problem, an approach, and a finding.

Papers acknowledging this award

From the funding information publishers register with Crossref.

H. Rabbani, A. Rezaee, H. Rabbani, V. M. Vokkarane, M. Brandt-Pearce. Experimental Determination of Filter Bandwidth Requirements for Coherent Pluggable Transceivers in Optical Data Center NetworksIEEE International Conference on High Performance Switching and Routing (HPSR), pp. 1-5, June 2026 (2026)
A. Rezaee, R. McCann, V. M. Vokkarane. FUSION: A Unified Benchmarking Framework for Reproducible Optical Network ResearchIEEE/Optica Journal of Optical Communications and Networking, vol. 18, no. 9, pp. D90-D105, Sept. 2026 (Special Issue on Benchmarking in Optical Networks) (2026)
A. Rezaee, F. Arpanaei, R. McCann, H. Rabbani, J. A. Hernández, M. Brandt-Pearce, V. M. Vokkarane. QoT-Aware Dynamic Resource Allocation and Grooming in Multi-Band Space-Division Multiplexing NetworksIEEE/Optica Journal of Optical Communications and Networking, vol. 18, no. 10, Oct. 2026 (2026)
A. Rezaee, F. Arpanaei, R. McCann, L. Nadal, J. A. Hernández, V. M. Vokkarane. QoT-Aware Spectral and Spatial Scaling Trade-offs in Multi-Band Space Division Multiplexing over EONs [Invited]IEEE/Optica Journal of Optical Communications and Networking, vol. 18, no. 8, pp. C160-C172, Aug. 2026 (2026)
A. Rezaee, F. Arpanaei, R. McCann, H. Rabbani, J. A. Hernández, M. Brandt-Pearce, V. M. Vokkarane. Channel-Based ICXT- and NLI-Aware Service Provisioning for Multi-Band Over SDM SystemsInternational Conference on Optical Network Design and Modeling (ONDM), pp. 1-6, May 2025 (2025)
F. Arpanaei, A. Rezaee, M. Ranjbar Zefreh, R. McCann, L. Nadal, J. M. Rivas-Moscoso, Ó. González de Dios, A. Sánchez-Macián, D. Larrabeiti, V. M. Vokkarane, J. A. Hernández. Best Planning Practices for Ultra-High-Capacity Networks Based on Multi-Band over Space Division MultiplexingEuropean Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC), pp. 1-4, Sept. 2025 (2025)

Related work from the lab in this period

Papers in the project\'s research threads from its years; they may or may not acknowledge this award.

F. Arpanaei, A. Rezaee, M. Ranjbar Zefreh, R. McCann, L. Nadal, J. M. Rivas-Moscoso, Ó. González de Dios, A. Sánchez-Macián, D. Larrabeiti, V. M. Vokkarane, J. A. Hernández. Best Planning Practices for Ultra-High-Capacity Networks Based on Multi- Band over Space Division MultiplexingConference, 2025, Elastic and SDM optical networks
A. Rezaee, R. McCann, H. Rabbani, M. Brandt-Pearce, V. M. Vokkarane. ISRS-Enhanced PLI-Aware Routing for Multi-Band Elastic Optical NetworksConference, 2025, Elastic and SDM optical networks
H. Rabbani, A. Rezaee, F. Arpanaei, V. M. Vokkarane, M. Brandt-Pearce. Modeling Nonlinear Noise for Arbitrary Pulse Shapes in Optical Fiber Communication SystemsConference, 2025, Physical layer modeling
A. Rezaee, F. Arpanaei, R. McCann, J. A. Hernández, V. M. Vokkarane. Rethinking Flexibility: When Fixed-Grid with Grooming Outperforms Flex-Grid in EONsConference, 2025, Elastic and SDM optical networks
A. Rezaee, R. McCann, V. M. Vokkarane. Dynamic Crosstalk-Aware Routing, Modulation, Core, and Spectrum Allocation for Sliceable Demands in SDM-EONsConference, 2024, Elastic and SDM optical networks
A Rezaee, R McCann, VM Vokkarane. PLI-Aware Dynamic Routing in Software Defined Elastic Optical Networks (SD- EONs)Conference, 2023, Elastic and SDM optical networks
J. Zhao, V. Vokkarane. Static multi-sourced data retrieval in elastic optical networksJournal, 2022, Elastic and SDM optical networks
P Afsharlar, A Deylamsalehi, VM Vokkarane. Delayed spectrum allocation in elastic optical networks with anycast trafficJournal, 2021, Elastic and SDM optical networks

Acknowledging this award

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation, CNS Core under Award No. 2008530. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsor.