1024 QAM (60 Gbit/s) single-carrier coherent optical transmission over 150 km

We demonstrate a record QAM multiplicity of 1024 levels in a single-carrier coherent transmission. A frequency-domain equalization technique and a back-propagation method are adopted to compensate for distortions caused by hardware imperfections and fiber impairments, respectively. As a result, 60 Gbit/s polarization-multiplexed transmission over 150-km has been achieved at 3 Gsymbol/s within an optical bandwidth of only 4.05 GHz. (C) 2012 Optical Society of America