Space Division Multiplexing Technology Research Articles

Low crosstalk heterogeneous sixteen-core four-mode fiber with concave-convex double-type refractive index profiles

Multi-core few-mode fiber based on space division multiplexing technology is widely regarded as the primary solution to the optical communication capacity issue. However, the quality of the communication signal of the multi-core few-mode fiber depends on the degree of energy coupling between the cores. Thus, we propose a heterogeneous sixteen-core four-mode fiber that achieves low inter-core crosstalk, which first employs a combination of concave and convex double-type refractive index profiles. The advantage of this double-type refractive index profile is that the fiber can more conveniently regulate the phase differences of the same modes in adjacent cores. At the wavelength of 1550 nm and the optimal fiber parameters, all cores of the proposed fiber support four LP modes, and the inter-core crosstalk of all LP modes is less than -72 dB/km. This research demonstrates the efficacy of the proposed fiber in enhancing signal quality and presents innovative ideas and solutions for the future design of various low crosstalk multi-core few-mode fiber.

Inter-Core Crosstalk-Aware Backup Network Design Model against Probabilistic Link Failures in Multi-Core Fiber Optical Path Network

Multi-core fiber (MCF) is one of the promising space-division multiplexing technologies to increase the capacity of optical networks. MCF-based networks have two challenges. One is the inter-core crosstalk (XT) that degrades the quality of optical signals in two neighboring fiber cores. The other is network protection against link failures that cause massive data loss. One way to protect against multiple link failures is to prepare physically separated links as a backup network. Probabilistic protection improves the efficiency of protection by allowing a certain probability of protection failure. Existing studies on backup network design with probabilistic protection do not target MCF-based networks, which raises problems such as protection failure due to the inter-core XT and excessive consumption of optical resources. To address these problems, this paper proposes a XT-aware backup network design model for the MCF optical path networks. The proposed model protects the network against probabilistic multiple link failures. We adopt probabilistic protection that allows a certain probability of protection failure due to the inter-core XT and minimizes the required number of links in the backup network. We present an algorithm to satisfy the probabilistic protection requirement and formulate the model as an integer linear programming problem. We develop a heuristic approach to apply the proposed model to larger networks. Numerical results observe that the proposed model requires fewer links than the dedicated allocation model, which provisions the backup paths in the same manner as the primary paths.

Optical 3D information encryption and rapid decryption via interferenceless coded aperture correlation holography

Holographic encryption has obvious advantages in large key space and anti-attack ability, but the corresponding coherent noise and optical alignment requirement greatly affect the encryption efficiency and decryption quality. Here, we present an optical 3D information encryption method based on the interferenceless coded aperture correlation holography (I-COACH), which consists of a coded phase mask and a lens. The speckle pattern, which is the convolution of the point spread hologram (PSH) with the object intensity distribution recorded in the image sensor plane, is used as the ciphertext, and these pre-recorded PSH are utilized as the decryption key. Due to the spatial decorrelation characteristics of the PSH at different axial positions, the plaintext can be decrypted only when the ciphertext is cross-correlated with the PSH of its corresponding axial position. Therefore, a 3D object composed of multiple 2D planes can only be decrypted by the PSH of its corresponding depth. For rapid and efficient decryption, we introduce the space division multiplexing technology. By multiplexing coded phase masks at different positions, the PSH at two positions can be simultaneously recorded in single-shot. In addition to improving the encryption efficiency and decryption quality, both numerical simulation and experimental results demonstrate the excellent security and robustness of the proposed I-COACH based 3D information encryption method.

Design and analysis of ultra-large capacity heterogeneous nineteen-core seven-mode fiber

The multi-core few-mode fiber based on space division multiplexing technology is one of the critical ways to address the issue that the current single-mode fiber communication capacity has reached its maximum. However, the energy crosstalk between the cores is an important reason for the deterioration of signal quality. Consequently, this paper designs a nineteen-core seven-mode fiber with more transmission channels, and the auxiliary structures such as trench, high and low refractive index double rings, and air holes can effectively reduce intra-core crosstalk and inter-core crosstalk. After optimization, each core of the nineteen-core fiber can transmit seven LP modes, and the effective refractive index difference between adjacent modes is greater than or equal to 10−3. The optical fiber provides 228 transmission channels for the entire transmission system, the inter-core crosstalk of the highest order LP41 mode is lower than −30 dB/100 km at 1550 nm. Based on the above, the proposed optical fiber has excellent optical properties and can be applied to data centers, optical sensors, high-speed computer communication networks, and other applications.

Low crosstalk trapezoid-index thirteen-core single-mode fiber for multi-channel and high-density applications.

Multi-core fiber based on space division multiplexing technology provides a practical solution to achieve multi-channel and high-capacity signal transmission. However, long-distance and error-free transmission remains challenging due to the presence of inter-core crosstalk within the multi-core fiber. Here, we propose and prepare a novel trapezoid-index thirteen-core single-mode fiber to solve the problems that MCF has large inter-core crosstalk and the transmission capacity of single-mode fiber approaches the upper limit. The optical properties of thirteen-core single-mode fiber are measured and characterized by experimental setups. The inter-core crosstalk of the thirteen-core single-mode fiber is less than -62.50 dB/km at 1550 nm. At the same time, each core can transmit signals at a data rate of 10 Gb/s and achieve error-free signal transmission. The prepared optical fiber with a trapezoid-index core provides a new and feasible solution for reducing inter-core crosstalk, which can be loaded into current communication systems and applied in large data centers.

Weakly Coupled Multicore Fiber Technology, Deployment, and Systems

Space-division multiplexing (SDM) technology is a promising candidate to achieve massive parallelism in optical fiber cables and overcome the capacity limitation of the conventional single-mode fiber (SMF). Among the several kinds of SDM fiber, a weakly coupled multicore fiber (MCF) is advantageous in that it can be easily upgraded for use in existing equipment and requires no complex signal processing for optical multi-input multi-output (MIMO). In this article, we discuss the progress and standardization activity of MCF technologies from the viewpoint of accelerating the practical application of SDM technology. We first describe the possible application areas of SDM fibers and then show the recent progress of the essential technologies to construct the MCF link: the MCF itself, its splicing and connectorization, and the input/output techniques. We also discuss the availability and deployability of MCF as a large-capacity transmission medium and detail the progress on establishing a new international standard for SDM technology, which includes both historical progress and more recent endeavors on the standardization of optical fiber cables and SDM technology in International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). We close with a summary of MCF technology and its standardization activity with an eye to next-generation transmission systems and the long-term development of ultralarge capacity SDM transmission technology.

Dual-channel fiber-optic surface plasmon resonance sensor with cascaded coaxial dual-waveguide D-type structure and microsphere structure

To address the restriction of fiber-optic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors in the field of multi-sample detection, a novel dual-channel fiber-optic SPR sensor based on the cascade of coaxial dual-waveguide D-type structure and microsphere structure is proposed in this paper. The fiber sidepolishing technique converts the coaxial dual-waveguide fiber into a D-type one, and the evanescent wave in the ring core leaks, generating a D-type sensing region; the fiber optic fused ball push technology converts the coaxial dual waveguides into microspheres, and the stimulated cladding mode evanescent wave leaks, producing the microsphere sensing region. By injecting light into the coaxial dual-waveguide middle core alone, the sensor can realize single-stage sensing in the microsphere sensing area; it can also realize dual-channel sensing in the D-type sensing area and microsphere sensing area by injecting light into the ring core. The refractive index measurement ranges for the two channels are 1.333–1.365 and 1.375–1.405, respectively, with detection sensitivities of 981.56 nm/RIU and 4138 nm/RIU. The sensor combines wavelength division multiplexing and space division multiplexing technologies, presenting a novel research concept for multi-channel fiber SPR sensors.

Multi-Associated Parameters Aggregation-Based Routing and Resources Allocation in Multi-Core Elastic Optical Networks

Space division multiplexing (SDM), as a potential means of enhancing the capacity of optical transmission systems, has attracted widespread attention. However, the adoption of SDM technology has also additionally increased resource dimensions, introduced complex crosstalk, and made it difficult to integrate multi-dimensional fragments. These factors force the transmission constraints to be more complicated. Especially, some factors have a mutual restraint relationship, and excessive consideration of certain factors will cause the deterioration of other ones. Therefore, how to comprehensively consider the associated factors to achieve trade-offs and improve network performance is a problem worthy of study. This paper exploits the advantages of self-organizing feature mapping (SOFM) model to process multi-dimensional data with relevant features. Firstly, multiple constraints will be input into SOFM as mode vectors from the core level. Then, by judging the similarity between the competition layer neuron and the pattern vector, the position of the winning neuron is located, which determines the transmission level of each core. Finally, a routing, core, and spectrum allocation scheme is proposed by preferentially locating the core with higher transmission quality. Along the selected core, the available slots will be classified twice respectively by the number of adjacent cores and crosstalk direction to quickly find the spectrum blocks with relatively small crosstalk. Results indicate the scheme can reduce blocking probability and the resource fragmentation. Further, it can increase the resource utilization within tested network load.

Temperature Field Measurement of Photovoltaic Module Based on Fiber Bragg Grating Sensor Array.

Studying the temperature field of photovoltaic modules is important for improving their power generation efficiency. To solve the problem of traditional sensors being unsuitable for measuring the spatial temperature field, we designed a real-time detection scheme of the photovoltaic module temperature field based on a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor array. In this scheme, wavelength division multiplexing and space division multiplexing technologies were applied. The multi-channel FBG sensor strings were arranged on the surface and in the near field of the photovoltaic module. Different FBG strings were selected through optical switches, and the wavelength of the FBG string was addressed and demodulated using the tunable laser method and a peak-seeking algorithm. A measurement experiment of the photovoltaic module temperature field was carried out in an outdoor environment. The experimental results showed that the fluctuation law of the photovoltaic module surface and near-field temperature is basically consistent with that of solar radiation power. The temperature of the photovoltaic module decayed from the surface to space. Within 6 mm of the photovoltaic module surface, the temperature sharply dropped, and then the downward trend became flat. The lower the solar radiation power and the higher the wind speed, the faster the temperature decay. This method provides technical support for measuring the temperature field of a photovoltaic module and other heat source equipment.

A kind of single trench 19-core single-mode heterogeneous fiber with low crosstalk and anti-bending performance

The rapid growth of the demand for optical communication capacity promotes optical fiber communication technology. As a method to break through the capacity limitation of conventional single-mode fiber, multi-core fiber based on space division multiplexing technology has attracted extensive attention. In order to respond to the capacity of traditional single-mode fiber positively, we design a scheme of single-mode multi-core fiber combining the arrangement of heterogeneous fiber cores with secondary structure of low refractive index trench. The scheme consists of nineteen fiber cores arranged in a hexagonal closed-packed structure. Heterogeneous trench-assisted multi-core fiber (Hetero-TA-MCF) has low inter-core crosstalk and excellent anti-bending performance. Compared with conventional single-mode fiber, the Hetero-TA-MCF has the large transmission capacity and average effective area of each core of about 80 μm<sup>2</sup>. The transmission capacity of 19 cores is equivalent to the sum of the transmission capacities of 19 single-core single-mode fibers. We use COMSOL Multiphysics to simulate the fiber structure, finding the parameters that affect the properties of the fiber, selecting parameters and structures for optimal performance. Then we calculate the transmission characteristics by the finite element method,and the results of substantive simulating compute are as follows. The Hetero-TA-MCF achieves a low inter-core crosstalk (XT) of about –39 dB/100 km so that each core can be transmitted as a separate channe. It meets the standard of multi-core fiber long distance transmission. The XT of the heterogeneous 19-core single-mode fiber is suitable for multi-core fiber long distance transmission standards. The bending loss of the outermost fiber core is –7.7×10<sup>–5</sup> dB/m when the bending radius is 10 cm, which reflects the low loss characteristics of the structure. The nonlinear coefficients of three kinds of core are 1.28 W<sup>–1</sup>·km<sup>–1</sup>, 1.31 W<sup>–1</sup>·km<sup>–1</sup>, and 1.30 W<sup>–1</sup>·km<sup>–1</sup> respectively, reducing the nonlinear effect of optical fiber effectively; the dispersions of three kinds of cores are less than 24 ps/(nm·km). In addition, the steady single-mode transmission is achieved in <i>C</i>+<i>L</i> band. Compared with traditional single-mode fiber and single-trench homogeneous fiber, the proposed fiber in this work has low crosstalk, good bending resistance and large mode field area, which is suitable for long distance and large capacity transmission in space division multiplexing system.

Measurement and Analysis of Soil Temperature Field Based on Fiber Bragg Grating Sensor Array

Studying the soil temperature field and its variation law is of great significance to the real-time service of agricultural production. To solve the problems of low detection efficiency and difficulty of distributed detection, a distributed detection method of soil temperature field using wavelength division multiplexing and space division multiplexing technologies based on fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor is proposed. In this scheme, the stainless steel tube encapsulating the FBG string was vertically buried in the measured soil, and the tunable laser method and the peak-seeking algorithm were used to demodulate the wavelength of each sensor of the FBG string. The soil temperature field measurement experiments were carried out in the farmland environment. The experimental results show that the proposed method can detect the soil temperature field in real time. The internal temperature of soil changes periodically with the periodic change of surface environment temperature. With the increase of depth, the influence of surface temperature on soil temperature gradually decreases, and the amplitude of soil temperature oscillation gradually decreases, but the hysteresis effect of temperature peak becomes more and more obvious. The ambient wind speed can reduce the temperature of soil surface and shallow layer. Soil moisture affects the speed of temperature transfer from the surface layer to the deep layers, and the hysteresis effect of temperature peak is more significant in the soil with higher moisture. Solar radiation has a great influence on the temperature of soil surface and shallow layer.

Highly sensitive fiber optic microseismic monitoring system for tunnel rockburst

By capturing the micro-crack signals of rock mass structure, the microseismic (MS) monitoring technology is a good candidate for the forecasting and early warning of dynamic disaster. In this paper, MS sensors based on fiber optic interferometric scheme are studied and fabricated, and authors develop an 8-channel highly sensitive fiber optic MS system based on space division multiplexing technology to monitor the whole process of rock mass from micro-fracture to macro-damage. Field test of the system is carried out in Hanjiang River to Weihe River Water Diversion Project. The results show that it can realize continuously monitored with high accuracy and reliability in the tunnel and obtain the characteristic of temporal-spatio-strong of MS events, which are superior to the commercialized electrical monitoring equipment. This work shows that using fiber optic interference technology to develop accelerometer for MS monitoring system is both advantageous and feasible with the character of intrinsically safe.

Core and Spectrum Allocation Based on Association Rules Mining in Spectrally and Spatially Elastic Optical Networks

The combination of space division multiplexing technology with elastic optical networks allows to overcome the possible capacity crunch in backbone networks and also improves network flexibility by jointly managing spectral and spatial resources. However, against this background implemented by multi-core fibers, the interaction between spatial modes will appear as signal crosstalk, thereby affecting the service’s transmission quality. Spectrum resources without crosstalk are always preferred for the services to guarantee quality of service, possibly resulting in the spectrum fragmentation. Conversely, if resources with crosstalk are selected for services to reduce fragments, it may lead to serious crosstalk on the services already carried in the adjacent cores. To achieve a tradeoff between these two factors, this paper firstly exploits the association rule mining method to quantitatively analyze the potential correlation between them. By executing FP-growth mining algorithm, rules not beneficial to service provisioning will be filtered out. Then, an association rules-based core and spectrum assignment algorithm is presented, considering transmission requirements for different levels of services. Simulation results indicate the presented strategy can decrease the proportion of services affected by crosstalk and also reduce the possibility of fragments generation. Additionally, it can effectively make improvement on the blocking and resource utilization.

Recent Standardization Activities in ITU-T on Single-mode Optical Fiber and Space Division Multiplexing Technologies

Recent Standardization Activities in ITU-T on Single-mode Optical Fiber and Space Division Multiplexing Technologies

Space division multiplexing technology based on transverse wavenumber of Lommel–Gaussian beam

We propose a novel orbital angular momentum (OAM) space division multiplexing system based on Lommel–Gaussian (LMG) beam, which utilizes different transverse wavenumbers under the same topological charge. Using the random phase screen method and diffraction theory, the evolution of light field and mode crosstalk are effectively analyzed during transmission. Owing to the non-diffracting feature, LMG beams are more robust than traditional Laguerre–Gaussian (LG) beams through spatial spectrum analysis under the same intensity. More importantly, the results show that the shape of demultiplexed spot is related to the symmetry of original OAM-carrying beam and LMG beams with smaller scaling factor are better for detection. This work is anticipated to open up new perspectives for future high-capacity communication missions.

Tunable Mode Converter Device Based on Photonic Crystal Fiber with a Thermo-Responsive Liquid Crystal Core

A compact tunable mode converter device based on the thermo-optically characteristics of liquid crystals (LCs) is proposed and numerically analyzed herein. The proposed mode converter consists of an asymmetric dual-core photonic crystal fiber (PCF) with a highly thermo-responsive LC core. The verification of the proposed mode converter was ensured through an accurate PCF analysis based on the vector finite element method. With an appropriate choice of the design parameters associated with the LC core, phase matching at a single wavelength is available in the important O-band wavelength region. The simulation results showed that high conversion efficiencies between LP01 and LP11 mode are readily achieved over a broad wavelength range from 1278 nm to 1317 nm. Likewise, the tunable capability of the proposed mode converter was evaluated when it was submitted to thermal changes; thus, we evidence the strong thermo-responsive dependence of the operating wavelength, mode conversion efficiency and full-width at the half maximum (FWHM) bandwidth. Finally, the fabrication tolerances of the devices were also investigated. Therefore, the thermo-responsive characteristics of this novel PCF mode converter can be of fundamental importance in the future space division multiplexing technology.

Crosstalk-aware routing, spectrum, and core assignment in space-division multiplexing networks with bidirectional multicore fibers

Space-division multiplexing (SDM) has been proposed to increase fiber transmission capacity to cope with the increasing bandwidth requirements in the network. The use of multicore fiber (MCF) is considered to be a simple and feasible way to implement SDM technology. The intercore crosstalk (XT) in the MCF affects the performance of network transmission. Currently, bidirectional transmission of MCF has been proven to have lower XT than traditional unidirectional transmission of MCF. But there are few research studies on routing, core, and spectrum allocation strategies with bidirectional transmission. Thus, to get more XT reduction, we propose two different routing, core, and spectrum allocation strategies according to the traffic loads in the network based on the bidirectional transmission of MCF. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm has lower blocking rate and higher resource utilization than the benchmark algorithm in the two stages of different traffic loads in the network.

Grating assisted glass fiber coupler for mode selective co-directional coupling.

To keep pace with the increasing demand of transmission capacity, space division multiplexing technologies are currently intensively investigated. In this context, mode selective glass fiber couplers are of great interest due to their compatibility with existing glass fiber networks. In this work, we present a novel type of mode selective glass fiber coupler for co-directional coupling based on fiber gratings and fused asymmetric fibers. The achieved mode selective coupling efficiency agrees well with numerical simulations performed for comparison. The benefits of the grating approach are a lower mode crosstalk and a simple adaption of the propagation constants through changing of the grating-period.

Review of Space-Division Multiplexing Technologies in Optical Communications

The potential transmission capacity of a standard single-mode fiber peaks at around 100Tb/s owing to fiber nonlinearity and the bandwidth limitation of amplifiers. As the last frontier of multiplexing, space-division multiplexing (SDM) has been studied intensively in recent years. Although there is still time to deploy such a novel fiber communication infrastructure; basic research on SDM has been carried out. Therefore, a comprehensive review is worthwhile at this time toward further practical investigations.

Feasibility Study of Few Mode Fibers as a Sensor

This article describes how few mode fiber (FMF) has found its applications in optical communication systems. We report a novel concept of sensing physiological parameters using FMF, which utilizes Space Division Multiplexing technology (SDM) where SDM supports multiple modes/ paths of fixed bandwidth channels which increases the data carrying capacity in an optical fiber. Here we have considered two linearly polarized (LP) modes namely LP01 and LP11. A segment of FMF is used as sensing element, where it is spliced between two segments of single mode fiber (SMF). The intermodal interference between LP01 mode and LP11 mode of FMF provides an interference spectrum which is sensitive to change in physiological parameters applied on FMF. Hence any change in physiological parameter results to shift in wavelength in interference spectrum which makes FMF as a sensor