Free-space optical relay for the interconnection of multimode fibers

Area of Science:

• Optoelectronics
• Optical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Free-space optical systems traditionally use single-mode fibers.
• Integration challenges and fabrication costs limit scalability.
• Multigigabit Ethernet requires robust and cost-effective optical solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the feasibility of using multimode fibers for both input and output in free-space optical systems.
• To develop a low-cost, mass-producible optical system for high-speed data transmission.
• To explore applications in multigigabit Ethernet repeaters and switches.

Main Methods:

• Utilized plastic microlenses and optomechanical components for system construction.
• Integrated commercial vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with 62.5-microm core multimode fibers.
• Analyzed design constraints and mass production capabilities of custom optical modules.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated a free-space optical system using multimode fibers for input and output.
• Achieved a data transmission rate of 2.5 Gbit/s.
• Developed a system with components suitable for low-cost fabrication and assembly.

Conclusions:

• Multimode fibers are viable for free-space optical systems, offering a pathway to scalable solutions.
• The developed system presents opportunities for cost-effective multigigabit Ethernet infrastructure.
• Custom optical modules are suitable for mass production, facilitating widespread adoption.