WDM 100G-PON Over C-Band 20~50 km SSMF With Linear Equalizer and 44 dB Power Budget

We experimentally demonstrate a 400G C-band wavelength division multiplexing passive optical network (WDM-PON) system, utilizing four channels over standard single-mode fiber (SSMF). Each channel carries a 100 Gbaud OOK signal and is successfully transmitted over 20 km to 50 km of SSMF, all within the 12.5% soft-decision forward error correction (SD-FEC) threshold of 1.0×10⁻2. This achievement is enabled by a combination of optically filtered comb sideband modulation and a linear equalizer. The sideband modulation technique renders the system highly robust against both fiber dispersion and nonlinearities, thereby significantly improving the optical power budget, which is experimentally verified to reach 44 dB at 50 km reach. These results establish a promising pathway for building scalable, flexible, and high-capacity PON systems in a cost-effective manner.