Random walks and random numbers from supercontinuum generation

We report a numerical study showing how the random intensity and phase fluctuations across the bandwidth of a broadband optical supercontinuum can be interpreted in terms of the random processes of random walks and Lévy flights. We also describe how the intensity fluctuations can be applied to physical random number generation. We conclude that the optical supercontinuum provides a highly versatile means of studying and generating a wide class of random processes at optical wavelengths. © 2012 Optical Society of America.

A new three phase method (SDP method) for the multi-objective vehicle routing problem with simultaneous delvery and pickup (VRPSDP)

Transportation service operators are witnessing a growing demand for bi-directional movement of goods. Given this, the following thesis considers an extension to the vehicle routing problem (VRP) known as the delivery and pickup transportation problem (DPP), where delivery and pickup demands may occupy the same route. The problem is formulated here as the vehicle routing problem with simultaneous delivery and pickup (VRPSDP), which requires the concurrent service of the demands at the customer location. This formulation provides the greatest opportunity for cost savings for both the service provider and recipient. The aims of this research are to propose a new theoretical design to solve the multi-objective VRPSDP, provide software support for the suggested design and validate the method through a set of experiments. A new real-life based multi-objective VRPSDP is studied here, which requires the minimisation of the often conflicting objectives: operated vehicle fleet size, total routing distance and the maximum variation between route distances (workload variation). The former two objectives are commonly encountered in the domain and the latter is introduced here because it is essential for real-life routing problems. The VRPSDP is defined as a hard combinatorial optimisation problem, therefore an approximation method, Simultaneous Delivery and Pickup method (SDPmethod) is proposed to solve it. The SDPmethod consists of three phases. The first phase constructs a set of diverse partial solutions, where one is expected to form part of the near-optimal solution. The second phase determines assignment possibilities for each sub-problem. The third phase solves the sub-problems using a parallel genetic algorithm. The suggested genetic algorithm is improved by the introduction of a set of tools: genetic operator switching mechanism via diversity thresholds, accuracy analysis tool and a new fitness evaluation mechanism. This three phase method is proposed to address the shortcoming that exists in the domain, where an initial solution is built only then to be completely dismantled and redesigned in the optimisation phase. In addition, a new routing heuristic, RouteAlg, is proposed to solve the VRPSDP sub-problem, the travelling salesman problem with simultaneous delivery and pickup (TSPSDP). The experimental studies are conducted using the well known benchmark Salhi and Nagy (1999) test problems, where the SDPmethod and RouteAlg solutions are compared with the prominent works in the VRPSDP domain. The SDPmethod has demonstrated to be an effective method for solving the multi-objective VRPSDP and the RouteAlg for the TSPSDP.

Analytical BER performance in differential n-PSK coherent transmission system influenced by equalization enhanced phase noise

Long-haul high speed optical transmission systems are significantly distorted by the interplay between the electronic chromatic dispersion (CD) equalization and the local oscillator (LO) laser phase noise, which leads to an effect of equalization enhanced phase noise (EEPN). The EEPN degrades the performance of optical communication systems severely with the increment of fiber dispersion, LO laser linewidth, symbol rate, and modulation format. In this paper, we present an analytical model for evaluating the performance of bit-error-rate (BER) versus signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the n-level phase shift keying (n-PSK) coherent transmission system employing differential carrier phase estimation (CPE), where the influence of EEPN is considered. Theoretical results based on this model have been investigated for the differential quadrature phase shift keying (DQPSK), the differential 8-PSK (D8PSK), and the differential 16-PSK (D16PSK) coherent transmission systems. The influence of EEPN on the BER performance in term of the fiber dispersion, the LO phase noise, the symbol rate, and the modulation format are analyzed in detail. The BER behaviors based on this analytical model achieve a good agreement with previously reported BER floors influenced by EEPN. Further simulations have also been carried out in the differential CPE considering EEPN. The results indicate that this analytical model can give an accurate prediction for the DQPSK system, and a leading-order approximation for the D8PSK and the D16PSK systems.

Foveation time measure in Congenital Nystagmus through second order approximation of the slow phases

Congenital Nystagmus (CN) is an ocular-motor disorder characterised by involuntary, conjugated ocular oscillations, and its pathogenesis is still unknown. The pathology is de fined as "congenital" from the onset time of its arise which could be at birth or in the first months of life. Visual acuity in CN subjects is often diminished due to nystagmus continuous oscillations, mainly on the horizontal plane, which disturb image fixation on the retina. However, during short periods in which eye velocity slows down while the target image is placed onto the fovea (called foveation intervals) the image of a given target can still be stable, allowing a subject to reach a higher visual acuity. In CN subjects, visual acuity is usually assessed both using typical measurement techniques (e.g. Landolt C test) and with eye movement recording in different gaze positions. The offline study of eye movement recordings allows physicians to analyse nystagmus main features such as waveform shape, amplitude and frequency and to compute estimated visual acuity predictors. This analytical functions estimates the best corrected visual acuity using foveation time and foveation position variability, hence a reliable estimation of this two parameters is a fundamental factor in assessing visual acuity. This work aims to enhance the foveation time estimation in CN eye movement recording, computing a second order approximation of the slow phase components of nystag-mus oscillations. About 19 infraredoculographic eye-movement recordings from 10 CN subjects were acquired and the visual acuity assessed with an acuity predictor was compared to the one measured in primary position. Results suggest that visual acuity measurements based on foveation time estimation obtained from interpolated data are closer to value obtained during Landolt C tests. © 2010 IEEE.

Optimisation of random DFB Raman laser amplifier

We numerically optimise 2nd-order random DFB Raman laser amplifiers for transmission for the first time. Optical signal to noise ratio, nonlinear phase shift, signal power variation and the impact of the reflectivity of FBG are investigated in the links from 10 - 120 km.

Dynamics of cholesteric liquid crystals in the presence of a random magnetic field:stochastic dynamics of cholesteric liquid crystal

Based on dynamic renormalization group techniques, this letter analyzes the effects of external stochastic perturbations on the dynamical properties of cholesteric liquid crystals, studied in presence of a random magnetic field. Our analysis quantifies the nature of the temperature dependence of the dynamics; the results also highlight a hitherto unexplored regime in cholesteric liquid crystal dynamics. We show that stochastic fluctuations drive the system to a second-ordered Kosterlitz-Thouless phase transition point, eventually leading to a Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) universality class. The results go beyond quasi-first order mean-field theories, and provides the first theoretical understanding of a KPZ phase in distorted nematic liquid crystal dynamics.

Transmission performance improvement using random DFB laser based Raman amplification and bidirectional second-order pumping

We demonstrate that a distributed Raman amplification scheme based on random distributed feedback (DFB) fiber laser enables bidirectional second-order Raman pumping without increasing relative intensity noise (RIN) of the signal. This extends the reach of 10 × 116 Gb/s DP-QPSK WDM transmission up to 7915 km, compared with conventional Raman amplification schemes. Moreover, this scheme gives the longest maximum transmission distance among all the Raman amplification schemes presented in this paper, whilst maintaining relatively uniform and symmetric signal power distribution, and is also adjustable in order to be highly compatible with different nonlinearity compensation techniques, including mid-link optical phase conjugation (OPC) and nonlinear Fourier transform (NFT).

Signal power asymmetry optimisation for optical phase conjugation using Raman amplification

We numerically optimise in-span signal power asymmetry in different advanced Raman amplification schemes, achieving a 3% asymmetry over 62 km SMF using random DFB Raman laser amplifier. We then evaluate the impact of such asymmetry on the performance of systems using mid-link OPC by simulating transmission of 7 x 15 Gbaud 16QAM Nyquist-spaced WDM-PDM signals. (C) 2015 Optical Society of America