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Photonic Network Engineering Lab
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A lab centered on optical fiber communication that aims to realize next-generation optical networks.
AboutAbout the lab
Guided by the Motto “Let’s Just Try It!”
The Photonic Network Engineering Lab (Maruta Lab) researches information and communication technologies based on waves such as lightwaves, radio waves, and sound waves, starting with optical fiber communication technology.
The lab aims to realize next-generation optical networks that can transmit and forward ever-growing Internet traffic faster and more efficiently.
From theoretical analysis through numerical simulation to experiments, the lab proceeds under the motto “Let’s just try it!”
Each student is generally given an individual research topic, and once results begin to emerge, they present at domestic and international conferences.
Key terms
- Traffic
- The amount of information flowing through a communication network
- Eigenvalue Modulation
- A modulation scheme that sends signals placed on “eigenvalues,” which are unaffected by signal distortion in optical fiber
- Soliton
- The name of a special optical pulse. The lab uses it to investigate fault locations in networks
- Hollow-Core Optical Fiber
- An optical fiber whose core is air rather than glass, confining light in that hollow region to transmit it
NewsLab news
A student won the Student Session Excellent Presentation Award from the IEICE Technical Committee on Communication Systems
A student won the Encouragement Award from the IEICE Technical Committee on Communication Systems
A student won the Excellent Paper Presentation Award at the 46th Annual Meeting of the Laser Society of Japan
A student won the IEICE APN2026 Student Award
A student won the Student’s Encouragement Award from the IEEE Photonics Society Kansai Chapter
ResearchResearch themes
The Maruta Lab aims to realize next-generation optical networks that can transmit and forward ever-growing Internet traffic faster and more efficiently. Centered on optical fiber communication, the lab pursues research from several directions, including signal modulation formats, machine learning, analysis of optical fibers themselves, and identifying fault locations in networks.
*Illustrative imageHigh-Capacity Optical Fiber Transmission
Using digital coherent optical transmission, the lab studies how to suppress nonlinear optical effects that occur in optical fibers. It also researches eigenvalue-modulated optical transmission, which places signals on “eigenvalues” that are unaffected by signal distortion.
*Illustrative imageOptical Fiber Communication and Machine Learning
Signals in optical fiber can be modeled with differential equations, but gaps arise between the model and actual phenomena. As research on closing this gap with machine learning, the lab works on topics such as combining eigenvalue communication with neural networks to reduce bit errors at a realistic computational cost.
*Illustrative imageAnalysis of Next-Generation Optical Fibers
The lab theoretically analyzes how light is confined, and the loss characteristics, of hollow-core optical fibers, whose core is air, and ring-core fibers, whose core is ring-shaped.
*Illustrative imageLocating Faults While Communicating
Using special optical pulses called solitons, the lab analyzes the received optical waveform with a method called the inverse scattering transform. It researches identifying where in an optical fiber communication network a fault is occurring and what kind of fault it is.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Maruta Lab are faculty, Project Assistant Professors, visiting Associate Professors, and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- ProfessorAkihiro Maruta
- Associate ProfessorKen Mishina
- Project Assistant ProfessorTakuma Kuno
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “SRNL Fiber Optic Cable Installation ( )” Savannah River Site / Public domain (cropped)
- High-Capacity Optical Fiber Transmission: “Spread of light in optical fiber, Macro visualization, Demonstration of prof Angel Toshkov to students” AZToshkov / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Optical Fiber Communication and Machine Learning: “Optical fiber cable-01ASD” Asurnipal / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Analysis of Next-Generation Optical Fibers: “Hollow-core photonic bandgap fiber” Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) / Public domain (cropped)
- Locating Faults While Communicating: “Fiber optic network installation technician on pole” Domalchuk / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Cyber Security Engineering Lab): “Computer locked” Juan Pablo Olmo / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Media Integrated Communication Engineering Lab): “ShakeAlert Sensor Site” Paul Laustsen Public Affairs - Western States Communications and Publishing / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Power Systems Lab): “DSC04737 APG Leoben Substation, Leoben-Donawitz, 2026-04” Aciarium / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Intelligent Networking Lab [Graduate School of Information Science and Technology]): “Virtual-Reality-1990s-Virtuality-1000CS” ctrl-alt-rees YouTube Channel (used with permission) / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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