Co-propagation of Six Spatially Separated Helical Channels over a Single Strand of Standard Step Index Plastic Optical Fiber Using Spatial Domain Multiplexing

摘要

Spatial domain multiplexing is a novel method that adds a new dimension to optical fiber multiplexing techniques. It utilizes helical propagation and has the ability to support multiple channels of exactly the same wavelength inside a single strand of optical fiber by allocating a dedicated spatial location to each individual channel. These channels are separated in the radial direction and each channel is confined to a different distance from the center of the fiber. These spatially multiplexed channels propagate the length of the fiber, independent of each other, and exit at the other end as concentric circles. As a result the total capacity of the fiber increases by a factor that equals the total number of concentric circles or channels. This endeavor reports such a spatially multiplexed system that has successfully supported up to six channels. Six independently modulated pigtail laser sources, operating at 635nanometers, simultaneously launch light into a commercially available 980/1000 micrometer plastic optical fiber to support six spatially multiplexed channels. This paper introduces the fundamental concept of spatial domain multiplexing, then describes the experimental setup and finally presents experimental results.