Encoding/decoding using superpositions of spatial modes for image transfer in km-scale few-mode fiber.

Area of Science:

• Optical Communications
• Photonics
• Information Technology

Background:

• The space domain offers untapped potential for optical communications.
• Current research focuses on spatial modes in fibers to boost data capacity.
• Exploiting the spatial dimension provides a novel approach to data transmission.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and demonstrate image transfer using spatial mode encoding/decoding in few-mode fibers.
• To investigate the feasibility of using superpositions of spatial modes for data transmission.
• To evaluate the communication performance of spatial mode multiplexing in km-scale fibers.

Main Methods:

• Encoding and decoding of grayscale images using superpositions of spatial modes.
• Transmission experiments conducted over 1.1-km and 10-km few-mode fibers.
• Utilizing combinations of linearly polarized (LP) modes and orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes for encoding.

Main Results:

• Successful transmission of three grayscale images over a 1.1-km few-mode fiber using 4 modes (LP01, LP11a, LP11b, OAM-1) or 2 modes (OAM+1, OAM-1).
• Achieved zero bit errors in all received data, indicating high-fidelity communication.
• Demonstrated encoding/decoding for image transfer over a 10-km few-mode fiber using 4 spatial modes.

Conclusions:

• Spatial mode encoding/decoding is a viable technique for image transfer in optical communications.
• Few-mode fibers effectively support spatial mode multiplexing for enhanced data transmission.
• The demonstrated method shows favorable fiber link communication performance and potential for future optical networks.