Low-loss fusion splicing between spacing-mismatched multicore fibers

Multicore fibers (MCFs) offer a fascinating solution to the need to increase the fiber density and thus meet the exponentially growing demand for capacity in optical communication networks. Despite overwhelming research into MCFs, the desire for a general fusion splicing scheme between dissimilar MCFs remains unanswered. Here, we propose a tapering technique to reshape MCFs that includes both reverse-tapering and down-tapering schemes and can be exploited to tailor the core-to-core spacing and modify the modal property of MCFs. By matching both the spacing and the mode field diameter, we demonstrated a low-loss (0.18 ± 0.10 dB) and low-crosstalk (-68 ± 3 dB) fusion splice between two spacing-mismatched MCFs with a spacing difference of up to 26 μm. The proposed novel schemes are also suitable for splicing between MCFs with slightly different spacings and can provide a unique perspective for fabricating MCF devices and boosting various MCF applications.