Yongxiong Ren

Terabit-Scale Orbital Angular Momentum Mode Division Multiplexing in Fibers

A Twist on the Capacity Crunch The rate at which data can be transmitted down optic fibers is approaching a limit because of nonlinear optical effects. Multiplexing allows data to be encoded in different modes of light such as polarization, wavelength, amplitude, and phase and to be sent down the fibers in parallel. Optical angular momentum (OAM) can provide another degree of freedom whereby the photons are given a well-defined twist or helicity. Bozinovic et al. (p. 1545) were able to transmit high-bandwidth data using OAM modes in long lengths of optical fibers, thus providing a possible route to get yet more capacity through optic fiber networks. Encoding data in the twist, or helicity, of photons provides a route to increase optical communication rates in fibers. Internet data traffic capacity is rapidly reaching limits imposed by optical fiber nonlinear effects. Having almost exhausted available degrees of freedom to orthogonally multiplex data, the possibility is now being explored of using spatial modes of fibers to enhance data capacity. We demonstrate the viability of using the orbital angular momentum (OAM) of light to create orthogonal, spatially distinct streams of data-transmitting channels that are multiplexed in a single fiber. Over 1.1 kilometers of a specially designed optical fiber that minimizes mode coupling, we achieved 400-gigabits-per-second data transmission using four angular momentum modes at a single wavelength, and 1.6 terabits per second using two OAM modes over 10 wavelengths. These demonstrations suggest that OAM could provide an additional degree of freedom for data multiplexing in future fiber networks.

Optical communications using orbital angular momentum beams

Orbital angular momentum (OAM), which describes the “phase twist” (helical phase pattern) of light beams, has recently gained interest due to its potential applications in many diverse areas. Particularly promising is the use of OAM for optical communications since: (i) coaxially propagating OAM beams with different azimuthal OAM states are mutually orthogonal, (ii) inter-beam crosstalk can be minimized, and (iii) the beams can be efficiently multiplexed and demultiplexed. As a result, multiple OAM states could be used as different carriers for multiplexing and transmitting multiple data streams, thereby potentially increasing the system capacity. In this paper, we review recent progress in OAM beam generation/detection, multiplexing/demultiplexing, and its potential applications in different scenarios including free-space optical communications, fiber-optic communications, and RF communications. Technical challenges and perspectives of OAM beams are also discussed.

100 Tbit/s free-space data link enabled by three-dimensional multiplexing of orbital angular momentum, polarization, and wavelength

We investigate the orthogonality of orbital angular momentum (OAM) with other multiplexing domains and present a free-space data link that uniquely combines OAM-, polarization-, and wavelength-division multiplexing. Specifically, we demonstrate the multiplexing/demultiplexing of 1008 data channels carried on 12 OAM beams, 2 polarizations, and 42 wavelengths. Each channel is encoded with 100 Gbit/s quadrature phase-shift keying data, providing an aggregate capacity of 100.8 Tbit/s (12×2×42×100 Gbit/s).

4 × 20 Gbit/s mode division multiplexing over free space using vector modes and a q-plate mode (de)multiplexer.

Vector modes are spatial modes that have spatially inhomogeneous states of polarization, such as, radial and azimuthal polarization. In this work, the spatially inhomogeneous states of polarization of vector modes are used to increase the transmission data rate of free-space optical communication via mode division multiplexing. A mode (de)multiplexer for vector modes based on a liquid crystal q-plate is introduced. As a proof of principle, four vector modes each carrying a 20-Gbit/s quadrature phase shift keying signal (aggregate 80 Gbit/s) on a single wavelength channel (λ∼1550  nm) were transmitted ∼1  m over the lab table with <-16.4  dB mode crosstalk. Bit error rates for all vector modes were measured at the 7% forward error correction threshold with power penalties <3.41  dB.

Mode division multiplexing using an orbital angular momentum mode sorter and MIMO-DSP over a graded-index few-mode optical fibre

Mode division multiplexing (MDM)– using a multimode optical fiber’s N spatial modes as data channels to transmit N independent data streams – has received interest as it can potentially increase optical fiber data transmission capacity N-times with respect to single mode optical fibers. Two challenges of MDM are (1) designing mode (de)multiplexers with high mode selectivity (2) designing mode (de)multiplexers without cascaded beam splitting’s 1/N insertion loss. One spatial mode basis that has received interest is that of orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes. In this paper, using a device referred to as an OAM mode sorter, we show that OAM modes can be (de)multiplexed over a multimode optical fiber with higher than −15 dB mode selectivity and without cascaded beam splitting’s 1/N insertion loss. As a proof of concept, the OAM modes of the LP11 mode group (OAM−1,0 and OAM+1,0), each carrying 20-Gbit/s polarization division multiplexed and quadrature phase shift keyed data streams, are transmitted 5km over a graded-index, few-mode optical fibre. Channel crosstalk is mitigated using 4 × 4 multiple-input-multiple-output digital-signal-processing with <1.5 dB power penalties at a bit-error-rate of 2 × 10−3.

Experimental characterization of a 400 Gbit/s orbital angular momentum multiplexed free-space optical link over 120 m

We experimentally demonstrate and characterize the performance of a 400-Gbit/s orbital angular momentum (OAM) multiplexed free-space optical link over 120 m on the roof of a building. Four OAM beams, each carrying a 100-Gbit/s quadrature-phase-shift-keyed channel are multiplexed and transmitted. We investigate the influence of channel impairments on the received power, intermodal crosstalk among channels, and system power penalties. Without laser tracking and compensation systems, the measured received power and crosstalk among OAM channels fluctuate by 4.5 dB and 5 dB, respectively, over 180 s. For a beam displacement of 2 mm that corresponds to a pointing error less than 16.7 μrad, the link bit error rates are below the forward error correction threshold of 3.8×10(-3) for all channels. Both experimental and simulation results show that power penalties increase rapidly when the displacement increases.

Broadband Modulation Performance of 100-GHz EO Polymer MZMs

We experimentally characterize the performance of 100-GHz electro-optical polymer Mach-Zehnder modulators in both dual-drive and single-drive versions using broadband modulation. For the dual-drive version, we measure bit-error rate (BER) at 80 Gbit/s for differential phase-shift keying (DPSK) and >; 90 Gbit/s for on-off keying (OOK). The eye diagrams of 100 Gbit/s OOK and S21 measurement of up to 110-GHz further indicate a response bandwidth of >;100 GHz. Tunable-chirp operation is also demonstrated by changing the phase and amplitude of each driving signal. For the single-drive version, a BER of 10-9 is achieved for both 100-Gbit/s OOK and DPSK signals without optical or electrical equalization. The single-drive version shows a 7-dB bandwidth of >; 110-GHz and a chirp factor of as low as -0.02.

Crosstalk mitigation in a free-space orbital angular momentum multiplexed communication link using 4×4 MIMO equalization.

We demonstrate crosstalk mitigation using 4×4 multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) equalization on an orbital angular momentum (OAM) multiplexed free-space data link with heterodyne detection. Four multiplexed OAM beams, each carrying a 20  Gbit/s quadrature phase-shift keying signal, propagate through weak turbulence. The turbulence induces inter-channel crosstalk among each beam and degrades the signal performance. Experimental results demonstrate that with the assistance of MIMO processing, the signal quality and the bit-error-rate (BER) performance can be improved. The power penalty can be reduced by >4  dB at a BER of 3.8×10-3.

Multicasting in a spatial division multiplexing system based on optical orbital angular momentum

We report multicasting data from a single orbital angular momentum (OAM) spatial channel onto multiple OAM channels of equally spaced OAM charge numbers. The designed sliced phase patterns for multicasting are loaded on the spatial light modulator. By optimizing the design of the phase pattern, the power of multicasted OAM channels can be equalized. We experimentally demonstrate multicasting five and seven OAM channels from a single-input OAM channel carrying a 100  Gbit/s quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) data stream.

Octave-spanning supercontinuum generation of vortices in an As 2 S 3 ring photonic crystal fiber

As2S3 ring PCF is proposed for vortex modes. Two orders of magnitude improvement on mode separation is achieved. Engineered dispersion and high nonlinearity enable octave-spanning supercontinuum generation from 1196 to 2418 nm within 1-cm fiber.