Implementation of companding scheme for performance enhancement of optical OFDM structure

Abstract Due to its great spectral efficiency and resistance to multi-path fading, OFDM, or orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, is commonly utilized in optical communication systems. However, because of nonlinear distortions in optical components, OFDM signals are prone to a high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR), which can severely impair bit error rate (BER) performance. This paper introduces a companding scheme to address high PAPR in optical OFDM systems and improve BER performance. The proposed scheme uses a nonlinear transformation to compress signal peaks and expand valleys, effectively reducing PAPR. Specifically, we investigate the µ-law companding technique, known for its simplicity and effectiveness in handling the active range of OFDM signals in optical communication. The companded signals are transmitted through an optical link and demodulated at the receiver. Simulation results show that the µ-law companding technique substantially reduces PAPR, leading to a significant improvement in BER performance. The companding process maintains signal integrity and spectral efficiency with minimal computational complexity and implementation cost. By mitigating nonlinearities introduced by optical components, this companding scheme enhances the overall reliability and efficiency of the optical OFDM system. An SNR gain of 2 dB–3 dB was achieved at a BER of 10−3.