About GCO
Research on Telecommunication Networks and Applications
The group started working on the field of optical components and their applications. Then, at the end of 1998 a new research line was launched, focused on the analysis and design of optical networks. Given the group’s experience in components, the initial research concentrated on analyzing the optimal placement of components in the network. Later, the research centered on the design and optimization of WRONs (Wavelength-Routed Optical Networks). In this field, the group has proposed several efficient and fast algorithms for designing virtual topologies, new methods for solving the static routing and wavelength assignment (RWA) problem, and metaheuristic techniques such as ant colony optimization and genetic algorithms for solving both static and dynamic RWA problems. These techniques have been shown to deliver excellent results with significantly lower computation time compared to other alternatives. More recently, the group has developed genetic-algorithm-based methods for designing logical topologies in reconfigurable WDM networks and for the routing and dimensioning of networks. Work has also been conducted on hybrid networks, proposing polymorphic networks in collaboration with the Electro-Optical Communications Group at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). This type of network combines several switching paradigms within a single physical network, ensuring that each service uses the most suitable paradigm.
As part of the FP7 CHRON project, which the group coordinated, the concept of CHRON Networks (Cognitive and Heterogeneous Reconfigurable Optical Networks) was proposed. In this area, the group has explored the use of cognitive methods for the control and design of these networks. Within the broader field of Artificial Intelligence, the group has collaborated with the Research Group of Admela Jukan (currently at the Technische Universität Braunschweig), with whom a recent survey article on the use of AI in optical networks was published. More recently, research has begun on the design of control algorithms for elastic or flexible optical networks. Thanks to collaboration with Telefónica I+D, the group has worked on evaluating the impact of the TCP protocol on Optical Burst Switching (OBS) networks.
Another line of research focuses on proposing medium access control mechanisms for passive optical access networks that can provide adequate Quality of Service (QoS) according to stipulated requirements and user differentiation aligned with service provider conditions. Several methods and algorithms have been proposed for managing EPON and GPON access networks, as well as Long-Reach PON networks. Part of this work has resulted in collaborations and publications with Professor John Senior’s Group at the University of Hertfordshire and with the Telecommunication Networks Engineering Group (GIRTEL) at the University of Cartagena. In addition, a research line centered on Software Defined Networks (SDN) is starting within the area of passive optical access networks, using a 25-kilometer real GPON testbed built in the group’s laboratory. Part of this work is being carried out in collaboration with the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM) and has already produced recent publications.
In recent years a new research topic has opened related to radio communications, dosimetry, and localization. This includes several lines of work: one focusing on the integration of measurement station systems, another on MIMO systems, and a third on indoor wireless localization techniques. The group is also now working on solving intermediate-frequency regime problems in the fields of dosimetry and localization.
The Optical Communications Group also works on a consolidated research line that develops prototypes for Rehabilitation Technologies. This includes the implementation of real-time systems for the extraction, processing, and interpretation of biomedical signals, as well as systems for sensory or functional stimulation for users with various conditions.
Members of the group participate in several scientific and professional societies—IEEE, OSA (now Optica), and COIT/AEIT—and serve as reviewers for numerous international publications in the field of optical communications, including Electronics Letters, Photonics Technology Letters, Optics Letters, Optics Communications, Journal of the Optical Society of America B, IEEE/OSA Journal of Lightwave Technology, IEEE/OSA Journal of Optical Communications and Networking, and Elsevier Optical Switching and Networking. The group’s work in supervising doctoral theses and final degree projects has been recognized with several national, regional, and local awards.
