High Spectral Efficiency (0.53 bit/s/Hz) WDM Transmission of 160 Gbit/s per Wavelength on a 300 GHz Grid

We report the first multi-channel transmission experiments at 160 Gb/s per wavelength in combination with pseudo-linear transmission in nonzero dispersion fiber. We demonstrate that 160 Gb/s can be transmitted with a channel spacing of 300 GHz, corresponding to a spectral efficiency of 0.53 bit/s/Hz. The demonstration is performed in a 6 x 160 Gb/s experiment where adjacent bits within the same wavelength channel are orthogonal in polarization. However, the high spectral efficiency is achieved without any requirements to the relative polarization states between adjacent wavelengths. Consequently, the demonstrated spectral efficiency at 160 Gb/s should allow a total capacity of 5.3 Tb/s within the combined C and L bands without the need for polarization tracking at add/drop nodes.