CONCENTRIC FIBER FOR SPACE-DIVISION MULTIPLEXED OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS AND METHOD OF USE

Abstract

A space-division multiplexed optical fiber includes a relatively high refractive index optical core region surrounded by alternating regions of relatively low and relative high refractive index material, forming concentric high index rings around the core. The optical core region supports propagation of light along at least a first radial mode associated with the optical core region and a high index ring region supports propagation of light along at least a second radial mode associated with the high index ring region. The second radial mode is different from the first radial mode.

Claims

1-20. (canceled)

21. An optical communication system, comprising: a first transmitter unit to generate a first optical signal; a concentric spatial division multiplexed (SDM) fiber having a first core concentric with a second core, the second core radially separated within the concentric SDM fiber from the first core, the concentric SDM fiber having a first end and a second end; a first spatial multiplexer/demultiplexer disposed on a path of the first optical signal from the first transmitter unit to a first end of the concentric SDM fiber; a first receiver unit disposed to receive the first optical signal after the first optical signal has propagated along the first core of the SDM fiber from the first transmitter; a second spatial multiplexer/demultiplexer disposed on a path of the first optical signal from a second end of the concentric SDM fiber to the first receiver unit; a second transmitter unit to generate a second optical signal; a second receiver unit disposed to receive the second optical signal after the second optical signal has propagated along the second core of the SDM fiber from the second transmitter and through the first and second spatial multiplexer/demultiplexers.

22. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the second transmitter unit is disposed to direct the second optical signal into the first end of the concentric SDM fiber and the second receiver unit is disposed to receive the second optical signal from the second end of the concentric SDM fiber.

23. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the second transmitter unit is disposed to direct the second optical signal into the second end of the concentric SDM fiber and the second receiver unit is disposed to receive the second optical signal from the first end of the concentric SDM fiber.

24. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the first spatial multiplexer/demultiplexer is disposed on a path of the second optical signal from the second transmitter unit to the first end of the concentric SDM fiber, and the second spatial multiplexer/demultiplexer is disposed on a path of the second optical signal from the second end of the concentric SDM fiber to the second receiver unit.

25. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the second spatial multiplexer/demultiplexer is disposed on a path of the second optical signal from the second transmitter unit to the second end of the concentric SDM fiber, and the first spatial multiplexer/demultiplexer is disposed on a path of the second optical signal from the first end of the concentric SDM fiber to the second receiver unit.

26. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the first optical signal is a first wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical signal.

27. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the second optical signal is a second WDM signal.

28. The system as recited in claim 21, further comprising a third transmitter unit to generate a third optical signal and a third receiver unit disposed to receive the third optical signal after the third optical signal has propagated along the concentric SDM fiber from the third transmitter.

29. The system as recited in claim 28, wherein the concentric SDM fiber comprises a third core concentric with the first core and with the second core, wherein the third optical signal propagates from the third transmitter unit to the third receiver unit via the third core of the concentric SDM fiber.

30. The system as recited in claim 28, wherein the third optical signal propagates along one of the first core or the second core in a third propagation direction respectively opposite one of a first propagation direction of the first optical signal or a second propagation direction of the second optical signal.

31. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the first and second transmitter units are, respectively, first and second transceiver units and the first and second receiver units are, respectively, third and fourth transceiver units.

32. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the first core of the concentric SDM fiber is a central core located on an axis of the concentric SDM fiber and the second core is a cylindrical core disposed concentrically about, and radially separated from, the first core.

33. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the first core has an associated first refractive index and the second core has an associated second refractive index, the first and second refractive indices being equal.

33. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the first core has an associated first refractive index and the second core has an associated second refractive index, the first and second refractive indices being different.

34. The system as recited in claim 33, wherein the second refractive index is less than the first refractive index.

35. An optical communication system, comprising: a concentric spatial division multiplexed (SDM) fiber having a first core concentric with a second core, the second core radially separated within the concentric SDM fiber from the first core; a first spatial multiplexer/demultiplexer disposed at a first end of the concentric SDM fiber; and a second spatial multiplexer/demultiplexer disposed at a second end of the concentric SDM fiber; wherein the first spatial multiplexer/demultiplexer is aligned with the first and second cores of the concentric SDM fiber and the second spatial multiplexer/demultiplexer is aligned with the first and second cores of the concentric SDM fiber so that, when a first optical signal is propagated into the first core via the first spatial multiplexer/demultiplexer and a second optical is propagated into the second core via the first spatial multiplexer/demultiplexer, the second spatial multiplexer/demultiplexer separates paths of the first and second optical signals after propagating out of the second end of the concentric SDM fiber so as to permit separate detection of the first and second optical signals.

36. The optical communication system as recited in claim 35, further comprising a first transmitter to generate the first optical signal, the first transmitter configured to propagate the first optical signal into the first core of the concentric SDM fiber via the first spatial multiplexer/demultiplexer, and a first receiver to receive the first optical signal, via the second spatial multiplexer/demultiplexer, after the first optical signal has propagated along the first core of the concentric SDM fiber.

37. The system as recited in claim 36, further comprising a second transmitter to generate the second optical signal, the second transmitter configured to propagate the second optical signal into the second core of the concentric SDM fiber via one of the first spatial multiplexer/demultiplexer and the second spatial multiplexer/demultiplexer, and a second receiver to receive the second optical signal, via the other of the first spatial multiplexer/demultiplexer and the second spatial multiplexer/demultiplexer, after the second optical signal has propagated along the second core of the concentric SDM fiber.

38. The system as recited in claim 37, wherein the second optical signal propagates from the second transmitter into the second core of the concentric SDM fiber via the first spatial multiplexer/demultiplexer and propagates from the second core of the concentric SDM fiber to the second receiver via the second spatial multiplexer/demultiplexer.

39. The system as recited in claim 37, wherein the second optical signal propagates from the second transmitter into the second core of the concentric SDM fiber via the second spatial multiplexer/demultiplexer and propagates from the second core of the concentric SDM fiber to the second receiver via the first spatial multiplexer/demultiplexer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The invention may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0013] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an embodiment of an optical communications system that uses space division multiplexing to propagate optical communications signals along a single optical fiber in different concentric fiber modes;

[0014] FIGS. 2A and 2B schematically illustrate an exemplary circularly symmetric, radial refractive index profile as used in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] FIGS. 3A and 3B schematically illustrate another exemplary circularly symmetric, radial refractive index profile as used in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] FIGS. 4A and 4B schematically illustrate another exemplary circularly symmetric, radial refractive index profile as used in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] FIGS. 5A-5G illustrate the results of computations showing the modal optical power present in an SDM fiber having concentric cores according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] FIGS. 6A-6H illustrate results of computations showing the optical power in various modes in an exemplary high confinement SDM fiber having concentric cores according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] FIGS. 7A-7H illustrate results of computations showing the optical power in various modes in an exemplary low confinement SDM fiber having concentric cores according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] FIG. 8A shows three exemplary refractive index profiles for i) a few-mode fiber, ii) a high confinement SDM fiber having concentric cores according to an embodiment of the present invention and iii) a low confinement SDM fiber having concentric cores according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] FIG. 8B shows calculated group and relative phase velocities for modes of the fibers having the refractive index profiles shown in FIG. 8A; and

[0022] FIG. 9 schematically illustrates an embodiment of an optical lantern useful for multiplexing/demultiplexing optical signals into and out of a concentric SDM fiber according to the present invention.

[0023] While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The present invention is directed to an approach to space division multiplexing (SDM) that makes use of concentric ring cores. Where the rings are separated relatively far away from each other and/or the refractive index difference between a ring and the cladding is sufficiently large, the modal electromagnetic fields are relatively strongly bound to the individual rings. The modal fields bound to a particular ring may constitute an independent transmission channel. The multitude of modal fields that may exist for a particular ring can facilitate space division multiplexing to be employed on a ring level. Since the concentric ring cores can be implemented in a circularly symmetric geometry, connectivity of such a fiber is simpler than with a multiple core fiber (MCF), which requires rotational alignment about the fiber axis to ensure that the cores are aligned with their respective mates.

[0025] In other cases, where the rings are located closer together, and/or the refractive index difference between the ring and the cladding is lower, the modal electromagnetic fields may span more than one ring. Such a design may be used in a fashion similar to that of a few-mode fiber (FMF). The propagation coefficients of the modes of the concentric ring fiber may have better isolation than in an FMF, making the modal power distribution less sensitive to micro and/or macro bending. Under some circumstances, the modal group velocities for this design may have larger variations than in an FMF, but this is unlikely to pose problems for shorter optical communication channels.

[0026] An exemplary embodiment of an optical communication system 100 is schematically illustrated in FIG. 1. The optical communication system 100 generally has a transmitter portion 102, a receiver portion 104, and a fiber optic portion 106. The fiber optic portion 106 is coupled between the transmitter portion 102 and the receiver portion 104 for transmitting an optical signal from the transmitter portion 102 to the receiver portion 104.

[0027] In this embodiment, the optical communication system 100 is of a space division multiplexing (SDM) design. Optical signals are generated within the transmitter portion 102 and are combined into different modes of a concentric SDM optical fiber 128 in the optical fiber portion 106 to the receiver portion 104 where the signals that propagated along different fiber modes are spatially separated and directed to respective detectors. The illustrated embodiment shows an optical communication system 100 that spatially multiplexes four different signals, although it will be appreciated that optical communications systems may spatially multiplex different number of signals, e.g. two, three or more than four.

[0028] Transmitter portion 102 has multiple transmitter units 108, 110, 112, 114 producing respective optical signals 116, 118, 120, 122. The optical communication system 100 may operate at any useful wavelength, for example in the range 800-950 nm, or over other wavelength ranges, such as 1250 nm-1350 nm, 1500 nm-1600 nm, or 1600 nm-1650 nm. Each transmitter unit 108, 110, 112, 114 is coupled to the optical fiber system 106 via a space division multiplexer 124, which directs the optical signals 116, 118, 120, 122 into respective modes of a concentric SDM optical fiber 128 of the optical fiber system 106.

[0029] The multi-mode optical signal 126 propagates along the optical fiber system 106 to the receiver portion 104, where it is split by the space division demultiplexer 130 into the optical signals 116, 118, 120, 122 corresponding to the different modes of the concentric SDM optical fiber 128 that were excited by light from the space division multiplexer 124. Thus, according to this embodiment, the transmitter unit 108 produces an optical signal 116, which is transmitted via a first mode of the concentric SDM optical fiber 128 to the receiver unit 132, the transmitter unit 110 produces an optical signal 118 which is transmitted via a second mode of the concentric SDM optical fiber 128 to the receiver unit 134, the transmitter unit 112 produces an optical signal 120, which is transmitted via a third mode of the concentric SDM optical fiber 128 to the receiver unit 136, and the transmitter unit 114 produces an optical signal 122 which is transmitted via a fourth mode of the concentric SDM optical fiber 128 to the receiver unit 138, with all of the optical signals 116, 118, 120, 122 propagating along the same optical fiber 128. In this manner, the optical signal 116 may be detected at receiver unit 132 substantially free of optical signals 118, 120 and 122, the optical signal 118 may be detected at receiver unit 134 substantially free of optical signals 116, 120 and 122, the optical signal 120 may be detected at receiver unit 136 substantially free of optical signals 116, 118 and 122, and the optical signal 122 may be detected at receiver unit 138 substantially free of optical signals 116, 118 and 120.

[0030] Furthermore, in many optical communications systems there are optical signals propagating in both directions along an optical fiber. This possibility is indicated in FIG. 1, where the optical signals are designated with double-headed arrows. In such a case, the transmitter units and receiver units may be replaced by transceiver units that generate and receive signals that propagate along a particular mode of the concentric SDM fiber 128. In other embodiments, there may be a separate transmitter unit and receiver unit for a signal at each end of the optical fiber system 106.

[0031] In addition, a signal from a transmitter need not be restricted to only one wavelength. For example, one or more of the transmitter units 108, 110, 112 and 114 may produce respective wavelength division multiplexed signals 116, 118, 120, 122 that propagate along respective modes of the concentric SDM optical fiber 128. In such a case, the receiver units 132, 134, 136 and 138 may each be equipped with wavelength division demultiplexing units so that the optical signal at one specific wavelength can be detected independently from the optical signals at other wavelengths.

[0032] A concentric SDM fiber is an optical fiber that contains two or more concentric rings of material having a higher refractive index that the immediately surrounding material. The refractive index profile of one embodiment of a concentric SDM fiber is shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. FIG. 2A shows the refractive index as a function of radial position from the center of the fiber, while FIG. 2B shows the refractive index of a cross-sectional profile of the fiber. In this embodiment, there is a central core 202 of material having a relatively high refractive index, n1. The central core 202 is surrounded by a first ring of low index material 204, having a relatively low refractive index, rid. The first ring of low index material 204 is surrounded by a first ring of relatively high index material 206 having a relatively high refractive index, n1. The first ring of relatively high index material 206 is surrounded by material having a relatively low index 208, with a refractive index of n.sub.cl.

[0033] The concentric SDM fiber is not restricted to having only two concentric portions of high index material, nor is the refractive index of the high index portions of material restricted to being the same for each high index portion. For example, in the refractive index profiles for the embodiment of concentric SDM fiber shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, there are three portions of relatively high refractive index material, a central core 302 and two concentric rings 306, 310, interspersed with portions of material having a relatively low refractive index 304, 308, 312. In this embodiment, the refractive index of the low index portions 304, 308, 312 is rid. The refractive index of the central core 302 is n1, the refractive index of the first high index ring 306 is n2, which is less than n1 but greater than n.sub.cl, and the refractive index of the second high index ring 310 is n3, which is less than n2, but greater than n 1.

[0034] The concentric SDM fiber is not restricted to having only two or three concentric portions of high refractive index material, and may include four or more. Furthermore, the low refractive index portions need not all have the same refractive index. For example, in the refractive index profiles of concentric SDM fiber shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the central core 402 has a refractive index of n1 and the first high index ring 406 has a refractive index of n2, which is less than n1. The innermost low index region 404 has a refractive index of n.sub.cl1 and the low index region 408 outside the first high index ring 406 has a refractive index of n.sub.cl2, which need not be the same as n.sub.cl1. In the illustrated embodiment, the value of n.sub.cl2 is less than n.sub.cl1, although in some embodiments it may be greater than n.sub.cl1.

[0035] A concentric SDM fiber can be made using known processes for providing a desired refractive index profile in an optical fiber, including chemical vapor deposition techniques such modified chemical vapor deposition (MCVD) or plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PCVD), or processes described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,046, incorporated herein by reference.

[0036] In the embodiment of concentric SDM fiber described in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the core region 202 has a refractive index of 1.452 and a radius of 4 m, the first low index region has an index of 1.447 and is present in the radial region 4 m to 8 m from the fiber center. The high index ring 206 has a refractive index the same as the core region 202 and is located between 8 m and 10 m from the fiber center. The outer low index region 208 has the same refractive index as the first low index region 204 and is located at a radial distance of more than 10 m from the fiber center. Thus, the refractive index difference between the high and low index regions of this embodiment of fiber is 0.005.

[0037] In the embodiment of concentric SDM fiber described in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the core region 302 has a refractive index of 1.452 and has a radius of 4 m, the first low index ring 304 is located at a radius of between 4 m and 8 m and has a refractive index of 1.447. The first high index ring 306 has a refractive index of 1.451 and is located at a radius of between 8 m and 10 m. The second low index ring 308 has the same refractive index as the first low index ring 304 and is located at a radius of between 10 m and 15 m. The third high index ring 310 has a refractive index of 1.449 and is located between a radius of 15 m and 16 m. The third low index region 312 has the same refractive index as the first low index ring 304 and is located at a radial distance of more than 16 m. Thus the refractive index difference between the high index core 302 and the first low index ring 304 is 0.005, while the refractive index difference between the first high index ring 306 and the low index material 304, 308 is 0.004, and the refractive index difference between the second high index ring 310 and the low index material 308, 312 is 0.002.

[0038] In the embodiment of the concentric SDM fiber described in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the core region 402 has a refractive index of 1.452 and a radius of 4 m. The first low index ring 404 has a refractive index of 1.448 and is located at a radial distance of 4 m to 8 m. The first high index ring 406 has a refractive index of 1.451 and is located radially between 8 m and 10 m. The second low index region is located at a radial distance of more than 10 m and has a refractive index of 1.447. Thus the refractive index between the high index core region 402 and the first low index ring 404 is 0.004 and the average refractive index difference between the first high index ring 406 and the surrounding low index regions 404, 408 is given by ((n.sub.cl1+n.sub.cl2)/2)=0.004.

[0039] The invention is not restricted to the embodiments of concentric SDM optical fibers described in FIGS. 2A-2B, 3A-3B and 4A-4B, either to the values of refractive index for the various portions of the fiber, and the concomitant refractive index differences between adjacent fiber regions, nor to the specific radii of the various fiber regions. The values of refractive index used in the examples shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A and 4B are for light at a wavelength of 1550 nm, although it will be appreciated that other values of refractive index may be used for this wavelength or for other wavelengths. These values for the illustrated embodiments should be taken as illustrative only. Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiments there is a step change in the refractive index between adjacent fiber regions. This is not intended to be a limitation of the invention, and it is understood that the change in refractive index between regions may take place over a non-zero range of radius within an optical fiber. The step index changes shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A and 4B are intended for illustrative purposes only.

[0040] FIGS. 5A-5G illustrate results of numerical modeling of optical modes present in a fiber having two concentric high index regions, similar to that shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. The figures use a different scale for the y-coordinate and the x-coordinate, and so may not appear to be circular in nature, even though the calculated mode patterns are circular.

[0041] The following parameters were assumed in the model used to produce the illustrated results.

TABLE-US-00001 Parameter Value High index core ref. ind. 1.452 High index core outer radius (m) 4 First low index ring ref. ind. 1.447 First low index ring inner radius (m) 4 First low index ring outer radius (m) 8 First high index ring ref. ind. 1.451 First high index ring inner radius (m) 8 First high index ring outer radius (m) 10 Second low index ring ref. ind. 1.447 Second low index ring inner radius (m) 10 Second low index ring outer radius (m) 13 Third high index ring ref. ind. 1.451 Third high index ring inner radius (m) 13 Third high index ring outer radius (m) 15 Light wavelength (nm) 1310

[0042] The modal electromagnetic fields associated with the fiber whose structure is described in the table above are strongly linearly polarized due to the relative small contrast in the index of refraction, and hence may be labeled in a fashion similar to the LP modes that arise in a typical multimode fiber having a single core and a cladding, and so reference is made to LP modes to describe the modes arising in the concentric SDM fiber. FIG. 5A shows the calculated power distribution in the fundamental mode, which propagates solely in the fiber core region, and may be called an LP.sub.01 mode. FIG. 5B shows the calculated power distribution in a higher order mode that is circularly symmetric, and which carries power in both the inner core and the high index surrounding ring. This mode can be referred to as an LP.sub.02 mode.

[0043] FIGS. 5C and 5D respectively show the power distributions of higher order modes that occupy both the inner core and first high index ring. These may be referred to as LP.sub.12 modes.

[0044] FIGS. 5E, 5F and 5G respectively show the power distributions of higher order modes that are contained solely within the first high index ring. These modes may be referred to as LP.sub.21 modes.

[0045] Where the concentric rings are sufficiently far apart and/or the refractive index difference between the high index regions and the cladding is sufficiently high, each mode may be effectively confined to a single ring. This may be referred to as high confinement. For example, the optical power in each mode was calculated for the fiber having the following refractive index profile:

TABLE-US-00002 Range (m from Refractive fiber center) index central high index region 0-4.06 1.4523 second high index region 10-12 1.4533 third high index region 20-21 1.4523 cladding 1.4470

[0046] The cladding is the material between the regions of high refractive index, e.g. between 4.06 m and 10 m, 12 m and 20 m and beyond 21 m.

[0047] The power distribution in the fiber is shown for eight modes in FIGS. 6A-6H. In each case, the positions of the high index regions are delineated by red concentric lines. FIG. 6A shows that the fundamental LP.sub.01 mode is confined almost entirely to the central high index region. The LP.sub.02 mode is substantially confined to the second high index region, see FIG. 6B, with only a small amount of power in the central high index region. The LP.sub.11, LP.sub.21, and LP.sub.31 modes are confined almost entirely to the second high index region, as seen in FIGS. 6C, 6D and 6E respectively. Likewise, the LP.sub.03, LP.sub.12 and LP.sub.22 modes are almost entirely confined to the third high index region, as seen in FIGS. 6F, 6G and 6H. In some embodiments more than 90% of the power of each LP mode is confined to a single high index region, with less than 10% appearing in another high index region, and preferably less than 5% in another high index region and more preferably less than 1% in another high index region.

[0048] In other embodiments of the invention, where the regions of high index are closer together and/or the refractive index difference between high index regions and the classing is lower, a majority of the optical power carried by an LP mode can be found in one high index region, while there is a significant fraction of power carried in another high index region, or the optical power may be shared substantially over two or more high index regions. Furthermore, some of the optical power may be present in the cladding between the high index regions. This situation may be referred to as low confinement. For example, the optical power in each mode was calculated for the fiber having the following refractive index profile:

TABLE-US-00003 Range (m from Refractive fiber center) index central high index region 0-4.06 1.4523 second high index region 8.06-10.sup. 1.4538 third high index region 13-15 1.4528 Cladding 1.4470

[0049] The power distribution in the fiber is shown for eight modes in FIGS. 7A-7H. FIG. 7A shows that the fundamental LP.sub.01 mode is confined almost entirely to the central high index region. The LP.sub.02 mode includes power primarily in the central high index region and in second high index region, see FIG. 7B. The LP.sub.11 mode includes power primarily in the second high index region, with some also in the third high index region, see FIG. 7C. The LP.sub.21 mode includes optical power primarily in the second high index region and some also in the third high index region, see FIG. 7D. The LP.sub.41 mode has the majority of its optical power in the third high index region, with some power extending inwards to the second high index region, see FIG. 7E. The LP.sub.03 and LP.sub.12 modes include optical power in the central high index region, the second high index region and the third high index region, see FIGS. 7F and 7G. The optical power of the LP.sub.31 mode is primarily in the third high index region and, to a lesser extent in the second high index region, but is absent from the central high index region.

[0050] The different modes in the concentric SDM fiber have respective group velocities, which can be calculated using conventional approaches. Group velocity dispersion may provide limitations to the bandwidth-distance product of a particular fiber. However, the size and refractive index of the various concentric rings may be tuned to minimize group velocity dispersion, as well as to keep the modal fields bound to the fiber. For example, the high index core may be limited in radial extent so that it supports only the LP.sub.01 mode, or the first high index ring may be made sufficiently narrow radially that only one radial mode is supported. Thus, limiting the number of radial modes carried by the high index core or ring reduces bandwidth limitations due to dispersion.

[0051] Furthermore, group velocities of mode groups may be made to be somewhat similar so that light propagating within a mode group is dispersed less than light propagating in different mode groups. Exemplary mode group velocities for LP.sub.ln modes, where l is the angular index and n is the radial index, are shown below for a fiber with the characteristics of the low-confined example provided above:

TABLE-US-00004 l n Group velocity (10.sup.8 m s.sup.1) 0 1 2.06450445089241 0 2 2.06466904574457 0 3 2.06393351529015 1 1 2.06590901339276 1 2 2.06490135791618 2 1 2.06546843408278 2 2 2.06433573452656 3 1 2.06505406068231 4 1 2.06463064549477

[0052] It is particularly desirable that values of group velocity, v.sub.g, are close together for different modes that propagate along a single ring, so as to reduce modal group velocity dispersion. This might be achieved, for example, by engineering the fiber so that high index rings farther from the fiber center have decreasing or increasing refractive index values, in a manner like that shown in FIG. 3A or FIG. 8A. It is also preferred that values of v.sub.g in different rings are relatively close together so that signals launched into the fiber at the same time are detected at around the same time.

[0053] Another consideration in designing a concentric core fiber is the width of the concentric ring. If the ring is narrower and/or the refractive index difference with the cladding is lower, then the modes will become increasingly poorly confined to the ring. On the other hand, if the ring is too wide, then the ring may support more modes, which may lead to bandwidth limitations due to intermodal dispersion.

[0054] A comparison of the group and phase velocities of and FMF with fibers of the present invention is discussed with reference to FIGS. 8A and 8B. FIG. 8A schematically shows three different fiber refractive index profiles, as a function of radial distance from the center of the fiber. The smooth curve 802 represents a parabolic profile as might be found in an FMF. The stepped profile shown with a dashed line represents the refractive index profile of the high confinement fiber discussed above with reference to FIGS. 6A-6H, while the stepped profile shown with a continuous line 806 represents the refractive index profile of the low confinement fiber discussed above with reference to FIGS. 7A-7H. The refractive index profile 802 of the FMF was selected so that it supported about as many modes as the exemplary concentric ring fibers with profiles 804 and 806.

[0055] FIG. 8B shows a plot of group velocity against phase velocity for the modes of each of the three exemplary fibers. Line 812 shows the phase and group velocity pairs for the modes of the FMF, whose refractive index profile is curve 802 in FIG. 8A. The parenthetical (2) beside two of the dots on this line indicate that there are two modes whose group and phase velocities almost overlap. Line 814 shows the phase and group velocity pairs for the modes of the high confinement concentric fiber, whose refractive index profile is curve 804 in FIG. 8A. Line 816 shows the phase and group velocity pairs for the modes of the low confinement concentric fiber, whose refractive index profile is curve 806 in FIG. 8A.

[0056] Several modes of the FMF, line 812, are equidistant in phase velocity, particularly at relative phase velocity values above about 1.4475. Furthermore, the relatively flat portion of line 812 at relative phase velocity values higher than about 1.4485 is indicative of low group velocity dispersion resulting from the parabolic nature of the FMF refractive index profile. For the exemplary concentric fibers, lines 814 and 816, the modes have more disparate values of group and phase velocity, so the modes are more isolated. This is expected to lead to improved bending performance with less mode mixing, compared to the FMF.

[0057] Various suitable types of spatial multiplexer/demultiplexers may be used to launch the light signals into their respective high index core or ring. One approach is to use a photonic lantern, a low-loss optical waveguide device that connects a multimode fiber to several fiber cores that support fewer, typically single, modes. Such devices, described in greater detail in, e.g., Birks T A et al., The Photonic Lantern, Advances in Optics and Photonics, 7 107-167 (2015) (the Birks article), have been developed for use with few-mode fibers. They are also suitable for use with the concentric SDM fiber, since the concentric SDM fiber carries optical modes that are somewhat analogous to the modes supported by a few-mode fiber, but with improved isolation between radial modes due to the concentric ring structure of the concentric SDM fiber.

[0058] An exemplary embodiment of a photonic lantern 700 is schematically illustrated in FIG. 9. The photonic lantern 700 includes a number of single mode fiber (SMF) cores 702 that are tapered in a tapered transition region 704 to an SDM core region 706. The positions of the tapered cores 708 at the output end 710 of the SDM core region 706 match the positions of the high index core and ring regions at the end of the concentric SDM fiber, so that light is efficiently transferred between the high index regions of the concentric SDM fiber and the tapered cores. A number of methods of manufacturing a photonic lantern are described in the Birks article, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0059] Various modifications, equivalent processes, as well as numerous structures to which the present invention may be applicable will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art to which the present invention is directed upon review of the present specification. For example, although the examples provided herein describe optical fibers having refractive index profiles that are circularly symmetric, the invention also covers fibers whose refractive index profiles are elliptically symmetric, and which may be used for multimode transmission of light along polarization-preserved channels in the fiber. The claims are intended to cover such modifications and devices.

[0060] As noted above, the present invention is applicable to fiber optical communication and data transmission systems. Accordingly, the present invention should not be considered limited to the particular examples described above, but rather should be understood to cover all aspects of the invention as fairly set out in the attached claims.