Quantum-optical communication rates through an amplifying random medium

We study the competing effects of stimulated and spontaneous emission on the information capacity of an amplifying disordered waveguide. At the laser threshold the capacity reaches a "universal" limit, independent of the degree of disorder. Whether or not this limit is larger or smaller than the capacity without amplification depends on the disorder, as well as on the input power. Explicit expressions are obtained for heterodyne detection of coherent states, and generalized for arbitrary detection scheme.Comment: 4 pages, 4 Postscript figure

Overcoming degradation in spatial multiplexing systems with stochastic nonlinear impairments

Single-mode optical fibres now underpin telecommunication systems and have allowed continuous increases in traffic volume and bandwidth demand whilst simultaneously reducing cost- and energy-per-bit over the last 40 years. However, it is now recognised that such systems are rapidly approaching the limits imposed by the nonlinear Kerr effect. To address this, recent research has been carried out into mitigating Kerr nonlinearities to increase the nonlinear threshold and into spatial multiplexing to offer additional spatial pathways. However, given the complexity associated with nonlinear transmission in spatial multiplexed systems subject to random inter-spatial-path nonlinearities it is widely believed that these technologies are mutually exclusive. By investigating the linear and nonlinear crosstalk in few-mode fibres based optical communications, we numerically demonstrate, for the first time, that even in the presence of significant random mixing of signals, substantial performance benefits are possible. To achieve this, the impact of linear mixing on the Kerr nonlinearities should be taken into account using different compensation strategies for different linear mixing regimes. For the optical communication systems studied, we demonstrate that the performance may be more than doubled with the appropriate selection of compensation method for fibre characteristics which match those presented in the literature

Space Division Multiplexing in Optical Fibres

Optical communications technology has made enormous and steady progress for several decades, providing the key resource in our increasingly information-driven society and economy. Much of this progress has been in finding innovative ways to increase the data carrying capacity of a single optical fibre. In this search, researchers have explored (and close to maximally exploited) every available degree of freedom, and even commercial systems now utilize multiplexing in time, wavelength, polarization, and phase to speed more information through the fibre infrastructure. Conspicuously, one potentially enormous source of improvement has however been left untapped in these systems: fibres can easily support hundreds of spatial modes, but today's commercial systems (single-mode or multi-mode) make no attempt to use these as parallel channels for independent signals.Comment: to appear in Nature Photonic

Phytochemicals Perturb Membranes and Promiscuously Alter Protein Function

A wide variety of phytochemicals are consumed for their perceived health benefits. Many of these phytochemicals have been found to alter numerous cell functions, but the mechanisms underlying their biological activity tend to be poorly understood. Phenolic phytochemicals are particularly promiscuous modifiers of membrane protein function, suggesting that some of their actions may be due to a common, membrane bilayer-mediated mechanism. To test whether bilayer perturbation may underlie this diversity of actions, we examined five bioactive phenols reported to have medicinal value: capsaicin from chili peppers, curcumin from turmeric, EGCG from green tea, genistein from soybeans, and resveratrol from grapes. We find that each of these widely consumed phytochemicals alters lipid bilayer properties and the function of diverse membrane proteins. Molecular dynamics simulations show that these phytochemicals modify bilayer properties by localizing to the bilayer/solution interface. Bilayer-modifying propensity was verified using a gramicidin-based assay, and indiscriminate modulation of membrane protein function was demonstrated using four proteins: membrane-anchored metalloproteases, mechanosensitive ion channels, and voltage-dependent potassium and sodium channels. Each protein exhibited similar responses to multiple phytochemicals, consistent with a common, bilayer-mediated mechanism. Our results suggest that many effects of amphiphilic phytochemicals are due to cell membrane perturbations, rather than specific protein binding

Reduction Of Cladding Mode Coupling Losses In Fiber Bragg Gratings

We here give a theoretical discussion of specialty fiber designs for the reduction of Bragg grating induced cladding modes losses. The model includes possible coupling to asymmetrical cladding modes occurring in the case of asymmetry in the UV-induced index grating. It is found for the considered fiber designs that a high numerical aperture fiber increases the spectral separation between the Bragg resonance and the onset of cladding mode losses. A depressed cladding fiber reduces the coupling strength to the lower order cladding modes, and the UV-sensitive cladding design reduces the cladding mode coupling loss.128128

Reduction of Bragg grating-induced coupling to cladding modes

We discuss fiber designs that have been suggested for the reduction of Bragg-grating induced coupling to cladding modes. The discussion is based on a theoretical approach that includes the effect of asymmetry in the W-induced index grating made by UV-side writing. Experimental results from gratings in a depressed-cladding fiber are compared with simulations. The model gives good agreement with the measured transmission spectrum and accounts for the pronounced coupling to asymmetrical cladding modes, even when the grating is written with smallest possible blaze. The asymmetry causing this is accounted for by the unavoidable attenuation of the UV light. It is found for the considered fiber designs that a high numerical-aperture fiber increases the spectral separation between the Bragg resonance and the onset of cladding-mode losses. A depressed-cladding fiber reduces the coupling strength to the lower order cladding modes, and the W-sensitive cladding design reduces the cladding-mode coupling loss. The analysis suggests that the UV-sensitive cladding design is the most effective in reducing the cladding-mode-coupling losses.18425527

Crosstalk Characteristics and Performance of VCSEL Array for Multicore Fiber Interconnects

This paper investigates the crosstalk characteristics of a dense two-dimensional 6-channel 850-nm VCSEL array designed for multimode multicore fiber (MCF) interconnects. Interchannel optical, thermal, and electrical crosstalk is measured and found to not affect channel integrity and receiver sensitivity when transmitting data over an MCF with a fiber fan-out. We demonstrate error-free data transmission (bit-error-ratio <10(-12)) up to 40 Gb/s/channel over an MCF, which shows promise for an aggregate capacity of 240 Gb/s over a single fiber in a future link