12-core fiber with one ring structure for extremely large capacity transmission

Area of Science:

• Optical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Telecommunications

Background:

• Hexagonal close-pack structures in multicore fibers present fabrication and performance challenges.
• Developing multicore fibers (MCFs) with high core counts and low crosstalk is crucial for advanced optical communication systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To theoretically analyze and experimentally demonstrate a novel one-ring multicore fiber structure.
• To overcome the limitations associated with hexagonal close-pack arrangements in MCFs.
• To achieve high core density with low crosstalk in MCFs.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical analysis of a one-ring multicore fiber structure.
• Experimental fabrication and characterization of 12-core fibers based on simulation.
• Measurement of effective area (Aeff) and crosstalk after 100-km propagation at 1550 nm.

Main Results:

• The one-ring structure effectively addresses issues found in hexagonal close-pack designs.
• Theoretical possibilities for 10-core and 12-core fibers with specific Aeff values were presented.
• Fabricated 12-core fibers achieved an Aeff of 80 μm² and crosstalk below -40 dB over 100 km.

Conclusions:

• The one-ring multicore fiber design is a viable approach for high-core-count fiber optics.
• This work demonstrates, for the first time, an MCF with more than seven cores and low crosstalk.
• The demonstrated MCF technology holds promise for future high-capacity optical networks.