Physical Layer-Aware Routing, Spectrum, and Core Allocation in Spectrally-Spatially Flexible Optical Networks with Multicore Fibers

In this work, efficient routing, spectrum, and core allocation (RSCA) techniques are proposed for spatial division multiplexed (SDM) elastic optical networks (EONs) utilizing multicore fibers (MCFs). These techniques provide efficient resource utilization with minimal computational complexity, while also taking into consideration physical layer effects. Initially, a crosstalk-aware approach is presented that accounts for the crosstalk effects in the network that can have detrimental impact on the connections established in the network. This approach is subsequently enhanced with a feedback-based procedure that takes into account all physical layer impairments, aiming to minimize the number of connections that cannot be established in the network due to quality-of-transmission (QoT) considerations.