Course description: This course covers advanced topics in optical networking, focusing on research problems in recent research literature. Topics may include: role of optical networks in 5G C-RAN-based fronthaul/x-haul/backhaul, optical network slicing and virtualization, multi-layer multi-domain orchestration of computing and optical network resources, survivability and availability of optical-network-based services and infrastructures, applications of machine learning in optical networks.

Lectures: Tuesday Thursday 11:30 am – 12:45 pm, ATC 4.902

Instructor: Jason Jue

Grading: Presentations: 50%, Project: 25%, Course Participation: 25%.

Project and Presentation: Students will be required to present and lead discussion on selected and assigned research topics and papers. Each student is expected to make 5-6 presentations during the semester.
A part of the course requirements each student will undertake a research project. The project is intended to demonstrate understanding of the material as well as creativity and originality. The project will involve selecting a topic in optical networks, developing new protocols or evaluating existing protocols, and analyzing performance through simulation or theoretical analysis.

Course objectives:

1. Ability to understand 5G optical network architectures
2. Ability to understand and address issues related to optical network design
3. Ability to understand issues related to network slicing and virtualization
4. Ability to understand issues related to multi-domain optical networks
5. Ability to understand machine learning applications in optical networks
6. Ability to understand issues related to survivability and availability in optical networks
7. Ability to understand and present concepts from recent research literature
8. Ability to formulate new research problems and to develop and evaluate solutions to those problems