Programmable Reconfigurable Optical Transport
for efficiently offering Unconstrained Services in 6G

About Project Proteus-6G

PROTEUS-6G aims to design and develop a dynamic, flexible, scalable, cost-effective, high-bandwidth, and low-latency packet-optical fronthaul and midhaul for 6G networks. This initiative is geared towards enabling the dynamic management of radio functional splits, facilitating the adaptation of 6G networks to varying environments, including changes in services and traffic. In this novel scenario, the 6G network adaptation involves both selecting the most appropriate functional split and reconfiguring the underlying packet-optical fronthaul and midhaul network. This ensures the provision of the required transport capacity and latency demanded by the selected centralization level.

Innovation Areas

  • Optical x-haul networks for 6G

The PROTEUS-6G Ambition aims to provide multiple technology building blocks to achieve a fully flexible and reconfigurable functional split in a 6G fronthaul scenario. The goal is to enable all-to-all connectivity among multiple CUs, DUs, and RUs while minimizing OEO conversions, improving energy efficiency, and reducing latency. This will be achieved through the development of innovative devices, systems, and subsystems realizing the spatially parallel input to multi-point communications paradigm. This includes optical point-to-multi-point nodes with fast reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers, simple yet ultra-fast plasmonic-based lite-coherent optical transceivers, and orchestration & control for adaptive management enabling dynamic functional splits.

  • Spatially-Diverse Point-to-Multi-Point (SDPtMP) Node

The PROTEUS-6G Ambition aims to realize an optically-transparent, reconfigurable fronthaul network capitalizing on spatial, spectral, and digital subcarrier resources, surpassing all other known fronthaul networks in key attributes. Feed capacity is multiplied by introducing four parallel feeds, originating from different access COs, allowing better resource sharing and improving resiliency. The association between CO and cell site transceivers is through both optical wavelength and digital subcarrier selection, introducing fast wavelength addressing through laser tuneability and instantaneous addressing through electronic subcarrier utilization.

  • Plasmonic-based Simplified, Coherent, Optical Transceivers

The PROTEUS-6G Ambition in TXRs is to enhance the new photonic infrastructure supporting 6G:

a) Port the emerging LDO architecture to 6G green-photonic networks, removing the DSPs from the TXRs, cutting power by ~50%, reducing cost, footprint, and making the 6G fronthaul photonic latency deterministic and protocol-agnostic.

b) Lead the LDO-based architectural revolution by developing innovative All-Optical Signal Processing aboard the TXR PICs to double the data rates to the unprecedented 800Gb/s and 1.6Tb/s per λ (whereas extrapolated SotA for 2023 will be 200G/λ).

c) Our high-end LDO-based LITE-COH TXRs will enable extended reach, expanding the geographic extent of the 6G networks and/or extending the reliability and yield of LDO-based TXRs by virtue of > +10 dB extra transmission margin afforded by LITE-COH detection.

  • Service Management, Orchestration, and Control for Adaptive Management of Fronthaul and Midhaul Transport (Packet/Optical) Connections Enabling Dynamic Functional Split

The PROTEUS-6G Ambition is to design a novel service management, orchestration, and control system for the PROTEUS-6G packet-optical x-haul (fronthaul and midhaul) network solution. The goal is to enable dynamic reconfiguration of the selected functional split, adapting to changing environments such as new services and traffic changes. In this novel scenario, adaptation means selecting the most appropriate functional split for the RU/DU/CU and reconfiguring the packet-optical x-haul network to provide the requisite level of communication capacity demanded by the selected centralization level. Initially, we will investigate, design, and implement SDN control and telemetry architectures for the x-haul PROTEUS-6G photonic layer, providing dynamic management of all-optical connectivity services in the fronthaul/midhaul segments.

Role of LioniX International

LIX will lead WP3 and will define a suite of building blocks in a verified process flow for fast-tunable (<10 µs) PZT-enabled polarisation-independent low-loss silicon nitride waveguides. LIX will also design and fabricate the novel dual-stage RAMZI interleavers and switches.

Expectancies

Implementation of the LIX specific PDK toolkit as an extension of VPI simulation framework for the development of filtering, signal processors and switched based on the TriPleX low-loss platform, offers new simulation capabilities towards the implementation of new viable solutions within 6G networks and opens cost-effective fabrication at high volume, (>10k units/year); a multi-M€ opportunity as strategic supplier to IDM/OEM.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

🌐 Visit the project’s website for all the details of the full objectives and project partners

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