1x11 few-mode fiber wavelength selective switch using photonic lanterns

Abstract

We demonstrate an 11 port count wavelength selective switch (WSS) supporting spatial superchannels of three spatial modes, based on the combination of photonic lanterns and a high-port count single-mode WSS.

Adaptive SLM-based compensation of intermodal interference in few-mode optical fibers

“…In our model stepped-index FMF is used, which is designed to transfer N spatial modes at the wavelengths in the vicinity of 1550 nm. This type of fiber is often considered as a transmission medium for MDM communication systems [17][18][19] . On the other hand, stepped-index FMF does not imply any intrinsic profile optimization for mode coupling and DGD minimization, and so it is chosen as a fundamental case for modeling of intermodal interference compensation and verification of its efficiency.…”

Wavelength-Selective Switches Operating over Space-Division Multiplexing

“…Following the first demonstration of joint-switching WSS using MCF for its SDM interfaces, the same technique has been quickly implemented for FMF interfaces [7]. The demonstrated FMF-WSS provided 3×(1×11) WSS functionality (i.e., 3 spatial modes and switching from a single input to one of eleven outputs, requiring 36 SMF ports), obtained by converting a commercial dual 1×23 WSS.…”

“…Whereas interfacing the MCF to multiple SMF requires a simple core breakout device, for FMF a mode demultiplexer is required. In [7] this was achieved by photonic lantern demultiplexers which can be very low loss. Alternatively, the photonic lantern demultiplexers were brought into the WSS hardware in [8] and mated with collimator lenses on the output single mode waveguides for a 3×(1×2) WSS function.…”

Mode-multiplexed transmission over conventional graded-index multimode fibers

“…Further the strong modal overlap in MMFs can be used to build efficient multimode amplifiers where all spatial-modes are amplified at the same time similarly to the way optical amplifiers are used to amplify multiple wavelength channels in wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) systems. Additionally, wavelength-selective switches (WSS) that support multiple modes, while maintaining a complexity comparable to traditional SMF WSS, have recently been demonstrated [2,3]. Mode-division multiplexing, however, also presents some formidable challenges, like mode coupling and mixing in optical components and MMFs, differential group-delay (DGD) spread present between the fiber modes, and differential attenuation of higher order modes nearer to the cladding index resulting in loss of capacity.…”