Projects per year
Personal profile
Quote
Over 99% of all data generated will go through an optical fibre. Optical transmission systems form the foundation of the Internet and are slowly running out of capacity. We need a paradigm shift in how we design and test our systems to develop next-generation low-energy, robust and high capacity photonic networks
Research profile
Chigo Okonkwo is an Associate Professor leading the high capacity optical transmission laboratory of the Electro-Optical Communications Group at the Institute for Photonics Integration, TU/e. He currently works on two key areas: Firstly, he is working to maximise the capacity of presently deployed single-mode fibre systems by employing advanced-coded modulation schemes and Probabilistic/Geometrically shaped signals and low complexity digital signal processing. More importantly, he is working on future proof transmission systems based on Space Division Multiplexing, and developing the new optical components required to scale the capacity of the optical transmission systems towards Petabit/s transmission. This can be done by exploiting the various spatial channel of a multi-mode fibre or multi-core fibre.
Chigo’s research is also focused on the development of new measurement systems, and his work has led to a provisional patent and several critical publications in Nature Photonics, JLT and Optics Express. Since 2010, Chigo has built up a world-class high capacity optical transmission laboratory and collaborates with several industrial partners.
Academic background
Chigo Okonkwo graduated in 2002 with a Masters Honours degree in Telecommunications and Information systems at University of Essex, United Kingdom. After earning his PhD in Optical signal processing at the University of Essex, he joined COBRA TU/e as a Post-doctoral researcher in 2010. In that period, he worked on schemes and architectures for High Capacity In-Building and Dynamic Optical Access Networks within the EU ICT projects (ALPHA, POF-PLUS and EURO-FOS) and a joint research framework project with South Korean research organization ETRI. Since 2014, he is tenured at the Department of Electrical Engineering.
Between 2011 and 2015, Chigo worked on the EU project MODEGAP, and his research focuses on Ultra-high capacity space division multiplexed transmission systems. From advanced multi-dimensional modulation formats to the optical and digital signal processing schemes required for such systems. Since 2018, Chigo is a member of the Center for Quantum Materials and Technology (QT/e) working to advance the National agenda on Quantum secure communications.
Chigo is a Technical program committee member for European conference on optical communications (ECOC) since 2014. In 2018, he was the Sub Committee Chair for Digital Signal Processing track at ECOC and the General Chair for OSA Advanced photonics congress conference on signal processing for photonics. As a Senior Member of the professional organization IEEE, he serves as a reviewer and has (co)authored more than 200 publications in conferences and journals.
Education/Academic qualification
Electrical engineering, Doctor, University of Essex
1 Feb 2005 → 1 Feb 2009
Award Date: 10 May 2010
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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5G-MOBIX
Tafur Monroy, I., Calabretta, N., Johannsen, U., Okonkwo, C. M., Heemstra de Groot, S. M., Dubbelman, G., Patterson, D., Rommel, S., Cimoli, B., den Ouden, J., Sanders, R., Meyer, E., Jancura, P., Xue, X., Cardarelli, S. & Sahinel, D.
1/11/18 → 31/07/22
Project: Research direct
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5G PHOS
Tafur Monroy, I., Tafur Monroy, I., Witteveen, F., Johannsen, U., Rommel, S., Patterson, D., Okonkwo, C. M., Sanders, R. & Rommel, S.
1/09/17 → 31/08/21
Project: Research direct
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NLCAP: Multi-dimensional coded modulation for Maximizing NonLinear CAPacity in the Optical Channel
Okonkwo, C. M., Alvarado, A., Croes, S., Willems, F. M. J., Sanders, R., Alvarado, A., Barreiro, A. & Chen, B.
1/06/17 → 31/03/19
Project: Research direct
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METRO High bandwidth, 5G Application-aware optical network
Calabretta, N., Okonkwo, C. M., Calabretta, N., Yan, F., Cardarelli, S. & Calabretta, N.
1/06/17 → 30/09/20
Project: Research direct
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Testbed Setup with ECI
Okonkwo, C. M., Calabretta, N., Chen, B., van den Hout, M. & van Weerdenburg, J. J. A.
1/01/17 → 31/12/20
Project: Research direct
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1 Tbit/s/λ Transmission Over a 130 km Link Consisting of Graded-Index 50 μm Core Multi-Mode Fiber and 6LP Few-Mode Fiber
van den Hout, M., van der Heide, S., Weerdenburg, J. V., Bogot-Astruc, M., Correa, A. A., Antonio-López, J. E., Alvarado-Zacarias, J. C., Sillard, P., Amezcua-Correa, R. & Okonkwo, C., 4 Feb 2021, 2020 European Conference on Optical Communications (ECOC). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 4 p. 9333379Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review
File12 Downloads (Pure) -
All-Photonic Heterodyne sub-THz Wireless Transmission at 80 GHz, 120 GHz and 160 GHz Carrier Frequencies
Morales, A., Nazarikov, G. I., Rommel, S., Okonkwo, C. & Tafur Monroy, I., 11 Mar 2021, 2020 45th International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves, IRMMW-THz 2020. IEEE Computer Society, p. 400-401 2 p. 9370506Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review
Open AccessFile8 Downloads (Pure) -
Analysis and Experimental Demonstration of Orthant-Symmetric Four-dimensional 7 bit/4D-sym Modulation for Optical Fiber Communication
Chen, B., Alvarado, A., van der Heide, S., van den Hout, M., Hafermann, H. & Okonkwo, C. M., 1 May 2021, In: Journal of Lightwave Technology. 39, 9, p. 2737-2753 17 p., 9345386.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
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Field Trial of a Flexible Real-time Software-defined GPU-based Optical Receiver
van der Heide, S., Luis, R. S., Puttnam, B. J., Rademacher, G., Koonen, T., Shinada, S., Awaji, Y., Furukawa, H. & Okonkwo, C. M., 15 Apr 2021, In: Journal of Lightwave Technology. 39, 8, p. 2358-2367 10 p., 9317695.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open Access -
Highly Tunable Heterodyne Sub-THz Wireless Link Entirely Based on Optoelectronics
Morales, A., Nazarikov, G., Rommel, S., Okonkwo, C. & Tafur Monroy, I., 1 May 2021, In: IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology. 11, 3, p. 261-268 8 p., 9372853.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open AccessFile5 Downloads (Pure)
Prizes
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Asia Communications and Photonics Conference(ACP) 2018 Best Paper Award
Chen, Bin (Recipient), Lei, Yi (Recipient), Lavery, D. (Recipient), Okonkwo, Chigo M. (Recipient) & Alvarado, Alex (Recipient), 28 Nov 2018
Prize: Other › Career, activity or publication related prizes (lifetime, best paper, poster etc.) › Scientific
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European Conference on Optical Communications (ECOC) 2018 Student Paper Award
van der Heide, Sjoerd (Recipient), van Weerdenburg, John J.A. (Recipient) & Okonkwo, Chigo M. (Recipient), 27 Sep 2018
Prize: Other › Career, activity or publication related prizes (lifetime, best paper, poster etc.) › Scientific
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Optoelectronics and Communications Conference (OECC 2019) Best Paper Award
van der Heide, Sjoerd (Recipient), Chen, Bin (Recipient), van den Hout, Menno (Recipient), Liga, Gabriele (Recipient), Koonen, A.M.J. (Ton) (Recipient), Hafermann, H. (Recipient), Alvarado, Alex (Recipient) & Okonkwo, Chigo M. (Recipient), Jul 2019
Prize: Other › Career, activity or publication related prizes (lifetime, best paper, poster etc.) › Scientific
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A.M. Velázquez-Benítez
Chigo Okonkwo (Host)
6 Oct 2018Activity: Hosting a visitor types › Hosting an academic visitor › Scientific
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Towards Higher Density Space Division Multiplexed Transmission Systems
Chigo Okonkwo (Speaker)
21 Nov 2015Activity: Talk or presentation types › Contributed talk › Scientific
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High density space division multiplexed transmission systems
Chigo Okonkwo (Speaker)
13 May 2015Activity: Talk or presentation types › Contributed talk › Scientific
Courses
Press/Media
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Launch of Quantumtech building and National Growth Funds at TU/e
14/06/21
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Public Engagement Activities
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-Eindhoven University of Technology: Tackling digital threats with cyber security research grants
Chris C.P. Snijders, Chigo Okonkwo & Luca Allodi
19/12/19
2 items of Media coverage
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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Metro-Haul Project: Driving Potential of 5G Innovations in Metro Optical Networks
Nicola Calabretta & Chigo Okonkwo
11/05/18
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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Metro-Haul Holds Successful Plenary Session Addressing Implications of 5G Use Cases in Metro Optical Networks
Nicola Calabretta & Chigo M. Okonkwo
9/05/18 → 10/05/18
33 items of Media coverage
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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Metro-Haul Holds Successful Plenary Session Addressing Implications of 5G Use Cases in Metro Optical Networks; Third Plenary Meeting of EU-Funded Project, Hosted in Lisbon by Coriant, Advances Technology Research and Collaboration in the Area of 5G-Optimi
Nicola Calabretta & Chigo Okonkwo
9/05/18
2 items of Media coverage
Press/Media: Expert Comment