Frequency diversity of modal dispersion in mode-division multiplexing systems from strong to weak coupling regimes

Abstract

Based on a statistical model applicable to all mode-coupling regimes and a trace covariance function of the group-delay matrix for characterizing the modal-dispersion correlation, we study the frequency diversity of modal dispersion in randomly-perturbed mode-division multiplexing optical communication systems. Particularly, we conduct detailed numerical simulation and analysis on the statistical properties of the modal dispersion in a 6-mode fiber under random perturbation. The results show that, at two frequencies of sufficiently large difference, while the modal dispersion eventually gets uncorrelated in the strong coupling regime, there remains a significant amount of “residual” correlation in the weak coupling regime. Also, we find that, although the typically-assumed frequency-domain ergodicity is reasonably valid in the strong coupling regime, it clearly fails in the weak coupling regime. The crossover from the strong to weak coupling regimes is also quantitatively investigated.