Multi-Mode Optical Fiber Communication

It has been suggested that multimode fiber has a fundamentally higher transmission capacity than single-mode fiber, because multiple modes offer additional spatial degrees of freedom in which to transmit information. To date, no practical means has been identified to fully exploit the potential capacity of multimode fiber. We are investigating optimal utilization of multimode optical fiber. Initially, we are focusing on single-input, single-output (SISO) transmission. We are using adaptive optics to mitigate modal dispersion, with the goal of increasing the distance over which signals can be transmitted at high bit rates. We have demonstrated transmission of 10 Gb/s over 11.1 km of standard 50 micron graded-index multimode fiber. We have also shown that a single spatial light modulator can compensate modal dispersion for wavelength-division-multiplexed channels within a wide bandwidth. Using this approach, we have transmitted ten 10 Gb/s channels, an aggregate bit rate of 100 Gb/s, over 2.2 km of standard 50 micron graded-index multimode fiber. In the future, we hope to extend these signal processing techniques to enable mode-division multiplexing, a form of multi-input, multi-output (MIMO) transmission. By transmitting multiple bit streams simultaneously in different modes, such techniques would further increase transmission capacity.

Principal Modes in Multimode Fibers

S. Fan and J. M. Kahn, "Principal Modes in Multi-Mode Waveguides", Optics Letters, vol. 30, no. 2, pp. 135-137, January 15, 2005. PDF

Adaptive Algorithms for SISO and MIMO Transmission

R. A. Panicker and J. M. Kahn, "Algorithms for Compensation of Multimode Fiber Dispersion using Adaptive Optics", subm. to J. of Lightwave Technol., November 2007.

R. A. Panicker, J. M. Kahn and S. P. Boyd, "Compensation of Multimode Fiber Dispersion using Adaptive Optics via Convex Optimization", to be published in J. of Lightwave Technol. PDF

E. Alon, V. Stojanovic, J. M. Kahn, S. P. Boyd and M. A. Horowitz, "Equalization of Modal Dispersion in Multimode Fiber using Spatial Light Modulators", Proc. of IEEE Global Telecommun. Conf., Dallas, TX, Nov. 29-Dec. 3, 2004. PDF

Transmission Experiments

R. A. Panicker, A. P. T. Lau, J. P. Wilde and J. M. Kahn, "Experimental Comparison of Adaptive Optics Algorithms in 10-Gb/s Multimode Fiber Systems", to be published in J. of Lightwave Technol. PDF

R. A. Panicker, J. P. Wilde, J. M. Kahn, D. F. Welch and I. Lyubomirsky, "10 x 10 Gb/s DWDM Transmission Through 2.2 km Multimode Fiber Using Adaptive Optics", IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. , vol. 19, no. 15, pp. 1154-1156, August 1, 2007. PDF Here is an animated PowerPoint presentation of this experiment. View it in slide show mode. Watch the movie on slide 11 (click twice on the graphic).

X. Shen, J. M. Kahn and M. A. Horowitz, "Compensation for Multimode Fiber Dispersion by Adaptive Optics", Optics Letters, vol. 30, no. 22, pp. 2985-2987, November 15, 2005. PDF Here is an animated PowerPoint presentation of this experiment. View it in slide show mode. Watch the movie on slide 6 (click twice on the graphic).

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Last modified: April 16, 2008.