Optikkanal

Optikkanal is a term used in optics and telecommunications to denote a single channel that carries an optical signal within an optical system. In fiber‑optic communications, an optikkanal is commonly defined as a distinct wavelength (or, in some systems, a polarization state or time slot) that is multiplexed with other channels on the same fiber.

In wavelength‑division multiplexing (WDM), many optikkanäle are transmitted simultaneously on a single fiber by using different wavelengths of light. Each channel has a center wavelength and a bandwidth, and channel spacing is standardized in grids such as the ITU‑T grid (for example, 50 GHz or 100 GHz spacings). Channel data rates vary from several gigabits per second to multi‑hundreds of gigabits per second depending on modulation, error correction, and equipment.

Applications include long‑distance backbone networks, metropolitan networks, and data centers, where many optikkanäle are multiplexed to increase capacity without laying more fiber. The concept is fundamental to modern high‑capacity optical transport systems, including submarine cables and terrestrial networks.

Outside communications, optikkanal may also denote an optical input or output channel on equipment, or a specific spectral channel in imaging, sensing, and instrumentation systems. The term is used in several languages, including German, to describe the channel carried by light within an optical pathway.