Performance enhancement of IM/DD optical OFDM through SLM-based PAPR reduction

Abstract

This paper presents a performance enhancement for a 40 Gbit/s intensity-modulated direct-detected (IM/DD) optical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) system, focusing on minimizing the peak to average power ratio (PAPR) using a selective mapping (SLM) scheme. The analysis evaluates key performance metrics, including launched power, optical signal to noise ratio (OSNR), propagation length, power spectral density (PSD), and bit error rate (BER). The implementation of the SLM technique significantly reduces the PAPR from 10.4 dB to 5.55 dB at a complementary cumulative distribution function (CCDF) of 10⁻³, achieving a 4.85 dB reduction. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of SLM in mitigating high PAPR in our system, which can improve tolerance to system nonlinearities while maintaining manageable power efficiency. Furthermore, the analysis suggests that additional PAPR improvements are achievable by increasing the number of SLM partition blocks. The SLM method outperforms the partial transmit sequence (PTS) in terms of PAPR reduction, PSD, and BER.

Keywords

A

References

[1] Zheng X L, Yang Q, Song Y, et al.. Colorless coherent OFDM-PON based on an optical frequency comb. Optics communications, 2025, 583: 131700. J].

[2] El-Nahal F, Abualoff N. Coherent optical communication systems based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing. Optoelectronics letters, 2020, 16(4): 303-305. J].

[3] Alhalabi M, El-Nahal F, Taşpinar N. Comparison of different modulation techniques for optical OFDM intensity modulation and direct detection IM/DD system. IEEE 7th Palestinian International Conference on Electrical and Computer Engineering (PICECE), Gaza, Palestine, 2019. New York, IEEE: 1-4. [C].

[4] El-Nahal F, Xu T, Alqahtani D, et al.. A bidirectional WDM-PON free space optical (FSO) system for fronthaul 5G C-RAN networks. IEEE photonics journal, 2023, 15(1): 1-10. J].

[5] El-Nahal F, Xu T, Alqahtani D, et al.. A bidirectional wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) free space optical communication (FSO) system for deployment in data center networks (DCNs). Sensors, 2022, 22(24): 9703. J].

[6] Du H, Xue J, Song W L, et al.. Simplified ICF and smart MIR for PAPR reduction in OFDM systems. Signal processing, 2025, 230: 109804. J].

[7] Zenhom Y A, Hamad E K I, Elkarim M A, et al.. Alleviating high PAPR and noise issues for optimized performance in ACO-OFDM-based VLC systems. Optics & laser technology, 2025, 188: 112950. J].

[8] Goel A, Gupta S. Side information embedding scheme for PTS based PAPR reduction in OFDM systems. Alexandria engineering journal, 2022, 61(12): 11765-11777. J].

[9] Vangala S, Sundru A. Adaptive clipping active constellation extension for PAPR reduction of OFDM/OQAM system. Procedia computer science, 2016, 93: 617-623. J].

[10] Serghini E, Hmamou A, El Ghazaoui M, et al.. PAPR reduction techniques optimization-based OFDM signal for wireless communication systems. Telematics and informatics reports, 2024, 14: 100137. J].

[11] Kumar A, Gaur N, Nanthaamornphong A. Reducing PAPR in NOMA waveforms using genetic-enhanced PTS and SLM: a low-complexity approach for improved throughput, power spectral density, and power efficiency. Results in engineering, 2025, 26: 104893. J].

[12] Hmbood J K, Harun S W. PAPR reduction in all-optical OFDM based on time interleaving odd and even subcarriers. Optics communications, 2019, 437: 237-245. J].

[13] Tek Y I, Tuna E B, Savaşcihabeş A, et al.. A new PAPRand BER enhancement technique based on lifting wavelet transform and selected mapping method for the next generation waveforms. AEU-international journal of electronics and communications, 2021, 138: 153871. [J].

[14] Quyang Y. Low-complexity selected mapping schemes for peak-to-average power ratio reduction in OFDM systems. IEEE transactions on signal processing, 2005, 53(12): 4652-4660. J].

[15] Kumar A. PAPR reduction using SLM-PTS-CT hybrid PAPR method for optical NOMA waveform. Heliyon, 2023, 9(10): e20901. J].

[16] Sharifi A. PAPR reduction of optical OFDM signals in visible light communications. ICT express, 2019, 5(3): 202-205. J].

[17] Yaoqiang X, Chen M, Li F, et al.. PAPR reduction based on chaos combined with SLM technique in optical OFDM IM/DD system. Optical fiber technology, 2015, 21: 81-86. J].

[18] Zhang T, Ghassemlooy Z, Ma C, et al.. PAPR reduction scheme for ACO-OFDM based visible light communication systems. Optics communications, 2017, 383: 75-80. J].

[19] Bai J, Yang S. In UOWC systems: a combined PAPR reduction method by PTS approach based on improved particle swarm optimization. Optik-international journal for light and electron optics, 2021, 232: 166581. J].

[20] Penga M, Chen M, Zhou H, et al.. Hybrid PAPR reduction scheme with Huffman coding and DFT-spread technique for direct-detection optical OFDM systems. Optical fiber technology, 2018, 40: 1-7. J].

[21] Xiang C, Zhang K, Jiang C, et al.. A scheme to restrain PAPR and frequency selective fading in 64 QAM MB-OFDM UWBoF system. Optical fiber technology, 2022, 73: 103040. J].

[22] Taspinar N, Alhalabi M. Performance investigation of long-haul high data rate optical OFDM IM/DD system with different QAM modulations. Journal of electrical engineering, 2021, 72(3): 192-197. J].

[23] Alhalabi M, Taspinar N, El-Nahal F. Bidirectional intensity modulated/direct detection optical OFDM WDM-PON system. Optoelectronics letters, 2023, 19(2): 83-87. J].

[24] Tao J, Guangxi Z. Nonlinear companding transform for reducing peak-to-average power ratio of OFDM signals. IEEE transactions on broadcasting, 2004, 50(3): 342-346. J].

[25] Alhalabi M, Taspinar N, Sonmezocak T. A novel hybrid whale optimization algorithm-based SLM (HWOA-SLM) for PAPR reduction in optical IM/DD OFDM systems. Applied sciences, 2026, 16: 2349. J].

[26] Alhalabi M, Taspinar N, Wadi M. PAPR reduction using discrete forest optimization algorithm based on SLM technique in intensity modulated direct detection optical OFDM communication systems. International journal of communication systems, 2025, 38: e70126. J].

[27] Alhalabi M, Taspinar N, Wadi M. PAPR reduction and performance enhancement of optical OFDM communication systems via migrating birds optimization-based SLM technique. Engineering research express, 2026, 8: 045318. J].

[28] Taspinar N, Alhalabi M. Peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) reduction using discrete invasive weed optimization (DIWO) in coherent detection optical OFDM (CO-OFDM) communication systems. Wireless personal communications, 2024, 139: 715-732. J].

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Tianjin University of Technology