R&D of 3M Technologies towards the Realization of Exabit/s Optical Communications

Abstract

SUMMARYResearch efforts initiated by the EXAT Initiative are described to realize Exabit/s optical communications, utilizing the 3M technologies, i.e. multi-core fiber, multi-mode control and multi-level modulation.

High capacity and access rate, data storage using laser communications

“…In LyteLoop fiber, using common fiber, we are limited to the near infrared (NIR) with wavelengths from 975 to 1800 nm, we have shown that it is possible to reach a storage capacity from 2 to 10 petabytes using a fiber system of 10,000 km 50 cores, 23 modes per core. 8 In LyteLoop satellite, Lyteloop cell, and LyteLoop tube systems, storage capacity can be increased by extending the wavelengths of the lasers from NIR down to the visible and even UV light. Using wavelengths from 266 to 3400 nm, we have a bandwidth of 1004 THz, which is many times more than in current fiber long haul systems.…”

“…The dawn of the big data era 1,2 and the boom in analytics-driven industries with machine learning and artificial intelligence pose new challenges in the field of data storage, [3][4][5] including physical infrastructure, base and operating costs, and cyber security. [6][7][8] Nearly 90% of the world's data today has been created in the past two years, highlighting the exponential trajectory of data storage requirements. LyteLoop LLC has introduced a revolutionary approach to store large amounts of data in motion, recirculating an optical beam in a loop between satellites, in optical fiber, in a small cell, or in a large vacuum cavity called a tube.…”

Non-circular multi-core fibers for super-dense SDM

“…To overcome this looming capacity crunch, a new multiplexing technology, space-division multiplexing (SDM) has been explored over the last ten years [4]. In SDM, the signal power is distributed over multiple spatial channels in the form of multiple modes and/or cores, thus lowering the power density, hence decreasing the nonlinear distortions and allowing for increased capacity and reach.…”