Multi-element fiber technology for space-division multiplexing applications

A novel technological approach to space division multiplexing (SDM) based on the use of multiple individual fibers embedded in a common polymer coating material is presented, which is referred to as Multi-Element Fiber (MEF). The approach ensures ultralow crosstalk between spatial channels and allows for cost-effective ways of realizing multi-spatial channel amplification and signal multiplexing/demultiplexing. Both the fabrication and characterization of a passive 3-element MEF for data transmission, and an active 5-element erbium/ytterbium doped MEF for cladding-pumped optical amplification that uses one of the elements as an integrated pump delivery fiber is reported. Finally, both components were combined to emulate an optical fiber network comprising SDM transmission lines and amplifiers, and illustrate the compatibility of the approach with existing installed single-mode WDM fiber systems

Optical Fibers for Space-Division Multiplexed Transmission and Networking

Single-mode fiber transmission can no longer satisfy exponentially growing capacity demand. Space-division multiplexing (SDM) appears to be the only way able to dramatically improve the transmission capacity, for which, novel optical fiber is one of the key technologies. Such fibers must possess the following characteristics: 1) high mode density per cross-sectional area and 2) low crosstalk or low modal differential group delay (DMGD) to reduce complexity of digital signal processing. In this dissertation, we explore the design and characterization of three kinds of fibers for SDM: few-mode fiber (FMF), few-mode multi-core fiber (FM-MCF) and coupled multi-core fiber (CMCF) as well as their applications in transmission and networking. For the ultra-high density need of SDM, we have proposed the FMMCF. It combines advantages of both the FMF and MCF. The challenge is the inter-core crosstalk of the high-order modes. By applying a hole-assisted structure and careful fiber design, the LP11 crosstalk has been suppressed down to -40dB per km. This allows separate transmission on LP01 and LP11 modes without penalty. In fact, a robust SDM transmission up to 200Tb/s has been achieved using this fiber. To overcome distributed modal crosstalk in conjunction with DMGD, supermodes in CMCFs have been proposed. The properties of supermodes were investigated using the coupled-mode theory. The immediate benefits include high mode density and large effective area. In supermode structures, core-to-core coupling is exploited to reduce modal crosstalk or minimize DMGD. In addition, higher-order supermodes have been discovered in CMCFs with few-mode cores. We show that higher-order supermodes in different waveguide array configurations can be strongly affected by angle-dependent couplings, leading to different modal fields. Analytical solutions are provided for linear, rectangular and ring arrays. Higher-order modes have been observed for the first time using S2 imaging method. Finally, we introduce FMF to gigabit-capable passive optical networks (GPON). By replacing the conventional splitter with a photonic lantern, upstream combining loss can be eliminated. Low crosstalk has been achieved by a customized mode-selective photonic lantern carefully coupled to the FMF. We have demonstrated the first few-mode GPON system with error-free performance over 20-km 3-mode transmission using a commercial GPON system carrying live Ethernet traffic. We then scale the 3-mode GPON system to 5-mode, which resulted in a 4dB net gain in power budget in comparison with current commercial single-mode GPON systems

Reconfigurable photonic integrated mode (de)multiplexer for SDM fiber transmission

A photonic integrated circuit for mode multiplexing and demultiplexing in a few-mode fiber is presented and demonstrated. Two 10 Gbit/s channels at the same wavelength and polarization are simultaneously transmitted over modes LP01 and LP11a of a few-mode fiber exploiting the integrated mode MUX and DEMUX. The proposed Indium-Phosphide-based circuits have a good coupling efficiency with fiber modes with mode-dependant loss smaller than 1 dB. Measured mode excitation cross-talk is as low as -20 dB and a channel cross-talk after propagation and demultiplexing of -15 dB is achieved. An operational bandwidth of the full transmission system of at least 10 nm is demonstrated. Both mode MUX and DEMUX are fully reconfigurable and allow a dynamic switch of channel routing in the transmission system

Space division multiplexing chip-to-chip quantum key distribution

Quantum cryptography is set to become a key technology for future secure communications. However, to get maximum benefit in communication networks, transmission links will need to be shared among several quantum keys for several independent users. Such links will enable switching in quantum network nodes of the quantum keys to their respective destinations. In this paper we present an experimental demonstration of a photonic integrated silicon chip quantum key distribution protocols based on space division multiplexing (SDM), through multicore fiber technology. Parallel and independent quantum keys are obtained, which are useful in crypto-systems and future quantum network

White Gaussian Noise Based Capacity Estimate and Characterization of Fiber-Optic Links

We use white Gaussian noise as a test signal for single-mode and multimode transmission links and estimate the link capacity based on a calculation of mutual information. We also extract the complex amplitude channel estimations and mode-dependent loss with high accuracy.Comment: submitted to The Optical Networking and Communication Conference (OFC) 201

High-speed PAM4-based Optical SDM Interconnects with Directly Modulated Long-wavelength VCSEL

This paper reports the demonstration of high-speed PAM-4 transmission using a 1.5-{\mu}m single-mode vertical cavity surface emitting laser (SM-VCSEL) over multicore fiber with 7 cores over different distances. We have successfully generated up to 70 Gbaud 4-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM-4) signals with a VCSEL in optical back-to-back, and transmitted 50 Gbaud PAM-4 signals over both 1-km dispersion-uncompensated and 10-km dispersion-compensated in each core, enabling a total data throughput of 700 Gbps over the 7-core fiber. Moreover, 56 Gbaud PAM-4 over 1-km has also been shown, whereby unfortunately not all cores provide the required 3.8 $\times$ 10 $^{-3}$ bit error rate (BER) for the 7% overhead-hard decision forward error correction (7% OH HDFEC). The limited bandwidth of the VCSEL and the adverse chromatic dispersion of the fiber are suppressed with pre-equalization based on accurate end-to-end channel characterizations. With a digital post-equalization, BER performance below the 7% OH-HDFEC limit is achieved over all cores. The demonstrated results show a great potential to realize high-capacity and compact short-reach optical interconnects for data centers.Comment: 7 pages, accepted to publication in 'Journal of Lightwave Technology (JLT

Free-space propagation of high dimensional structured optical fields in an urban environment

Spatially structured optical fields have been used to enhance the functionality of a wide variety of systems that use light for sensing or information transfer. As higher-dimensional modes become a solution of choice in optical systems, it is important to develop channel models that suitably predict the effect of atmospheric turbulence on these modes. We investigate the propagation of a set of orthogonal spatial modes across a free-space channel between two buildings separated by 1.6 km. Given the circular geometry of a common optical lens, the orthogonal mode set we choose to implement is that described by the Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) field equations. Our study focuses on the preservation of phase purity, which is vital for spatial multiplexing and any system requiring full quantumstate tomography. We present experimental data for the modal degradation in a real urban environment and draw a comparison to recognized theoretical predictions of the link. Our findings indicate that adaptations to channel models are required to simulate the effects of atmospheric turbulence placed on high-dimensional structured modes that propagate over a long distance. Our study indicates that with mitigation of vortex splitting, potentially through precorrection techniques, one could overcome the challenges in a real point-to-point free-space channel in an urban environment