Ultra-dense, 1152-core, broadband multicore fiber link deployed in a metro network

Area of Science:

• Optical Communications
• Telecommunications Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Traditional single-core fiber optics face capacity limitations in metro networks.
• Increasing demand for data transmission necessitates novel high-capacity solutions.
• Space division multiplexing (SDM) offers a path to overcome current fiber capacity bottlenecks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, develop, and deploy the world's first ultra-dense space division-multiplexing (SDM) multicore fiber (MCF) link.
• To integrate this advanced fiber technology into an operational metro network conduit.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of high-capacity fiber deployment in existing infrastructure.

Main Methods:

• Development of an ultra-dense fiber optic cable architecture.
• Arrangement of 288 4-core multicore fibers within 24 spiderweb collapsible ribbons (200-µm pitch).
• Fusion splicing of MCFs to 576 fanout devices for single-core interface compatibility.

Main Results:

• Successful deployment of the world's first ultra-dense SDM MCF link in a live metro network.
• The 10-mm-diameter cable houses a significant number of multicore fibers, maximizing spatial density.
• Standard single-core interfaces were achieved using fanout devices, enabling integration with existing equipment.

Conclusions:

• The deployed link represents a significant advancement in optical network capacity.
• Ultra-dense SDM MCF technology can be effectively integrated into existing metro network infrastructure.
• This technology offers a scalable solution for future data traffic growth.