MULTICORE FIBER TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20110274435A1
• Filed: 03/10/2011
• Published: 11/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OFS Fitel LLC (Furukawa Electric Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: OFS Fitel LLC (Furukawa Electric Company Limited)
• Inventors: Yan, Man F., Zhu, Benyuan, Fini, John M., Taunay, Thierry F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,725,001 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/139
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02042 Multicore optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4249 comprising arrays of active devices and fibres
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/00 Optical multiplex systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/02 Wavelength-division multiplex systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0246 using one wavelength per ONU
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/025 using one wavelength per ONU, e.g. for transmissions from-ONU-to-OLT or from-ONU-to-ONU
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0282 WDM tree architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/04 Mode multiplex systems

Abstract

An optical data link includes first and second pluralities of transmission devices, at least one of which is configured as an array. A multichannel transmission link has a first end connected to the first plurality of transmission devices and a second end connected to the second plurality of transmission devices so as to form a plurality of parallel transmission channels therebetween. The multichannel transmission link includes a multicore fiber with a plurality of individual cores having a configuration matching the array configuration of the at least one plurality of transmission devices. The multicore fiber has an endface connected directly to the at least one plurality of transmission devices, with the individual cores of the multicore fiber aligned with respective devices in the at least one plurality of transmission devices. Further described are access networks and core networks incorporating a transmission link comprising at least one span of a multicore fiber.

Claims

1. An optical data link, comprising:

first and second pluralities of transmission devices; and

a multichannel transmission link having a first end connected, with low loss, to the first plurality of transmission devices and a second end connected, with low loss, to the second plurality of transmission devices so as to form a plurality of parallel transmission channels between the first and second pluralities of transmission devices,

wherein the multichannel transmission link comprises at least one span of a low-loss multicore fiber with a plurality of individual cores.

2. The optical data link of claim 1,

wherein the multichannel transmission link comprises a plurality of multicore fiber spans;

and

wherein the multichannel transmission link further comprises at least one amplifier to amplify at least one multicore fiber span.

3. The optical data link of claim 1,

wherein at least one of the pluralities of transmission devices is configured as an array.

4. The optical data link of claim 3,

wherein the multichannel transmission link includes a multicore fiber span having a core configuration matching the array configuration of the at least one plurality of transmission devices.

5. The optical data link of claim 4,

wherein the multicore fiber span having the matching core configuration has an endface connected directly to the at least one plurality of transmission devices, with the individual cores of the multicore fiber aligned with respective devices in the at least one plurality of transmission devices.

6. The optical data link of claim 1,

wherein the multicore fiber comprises a multimode multicore fiber.

7. The optical data link of claim 1,

wherein the at least one plurality of transmission devices is configured as a two-dimensional array.

8. The optical data link of claim 1,

wherein the multichannel transmission link includes a multicore fiber span having an endface that is butt-coupled to at least one plurality of transmission devices.

9. The optical data link of claim 1,

wherein the at least one plurality of transmission devices comprises an array of vertical cavity surface emitter elements.

10. The optical data link of claim 1,

wherein the at least one plurality of transmission devices comprises an array of silicon photonic emitter elements.

11. The optical data link of claim 1,

wherein the at least one plurality of transmission devices comprises an array of PiN photodetectors.

12. The optical data link of claim 1,

wherein both the first and second pluralities of transmission devices are configured as arrays of devices having respective configurations matching that of the individual cores of the multicore fiber, and

wherein the multichannel transmission link includes a multicore fiber span having an endface directly connected to the first plurality of transmission devices, with the individual cores of the multicore fiber aligned with respective devices in the first plurality of transmission devices, and

wherein the multichannel transmission link includes a multicore fiber span having an endface directly connected to the second plurality of transmission devices, with the individual cores of the multicore fiber aligned with respective devices in the second plurality of transmission devices.

13. An optical data link, comprising:

first and second pluralities of transmission devices, wherein at least one of the pluralities of transmission devices is configured as an array; and

a multichannel transmission link having a first end connected to the first plurality of transmission devices and a second end connected to the second plurality of transmission devices so as to form a plurality of parallel transmission channels between the first and second pluralities of transmission devices,

wherein the multichannel transmission link comprises at least one span of a multicore fiber with a plurality of individual cores having a configuration homothetically matching the array configuration of the at least one plurality of transmission devices, and

wherein the multichannel transmission link further includes a tapered multicore coupler comprising a coupler body with a plurality of individual cores, wherein the coupler body is tapered between a first endface having a core configuration matching the configuration and scale of the at least one plurality of devices and a second endface having a core configuration matching the configuration and scale of the individual cores of the multicore fiber,

wherein the tapered multicore coupler first endface is connected to the array of transmission devices, with the coupler cores aligned with respective transmission devices, and wherein the tapered multicore coupler fiber second endface is directly connected to the at least one multicore fiber, with the coupler cores aligned with respective individual cores of the multicore fiber.

14. The optical data link of claim 13, wherein the coupler body is adiabatically tapered between the first and second endfaces.

15. The optical data link of claim 13, wherein the first endface of the coupler body is butt-coupled to the at least one plurality of transmission devices, and wherein the second endface of the coupler body is spliced to the multicore fiber.

16. The optical data link of claim 13, wherein the at least one plurality of transmission devices comprises an array of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers.

17. An optical data link, comprising:

first and second pluralities of transmission devices; and

a multichannel transmission link having a first end connected to the first plurality of transmission devices and a second end connected to the second plurality of transmission devices so as to form a plurality of parallel transmission channels between the first and second pluralities of transmission devices,

wherein the multichannel transmission link comprises at least one span of a multicore fiber with a plurality of individual cores, and

wherein at least one of the first and second pluralities of transmission devices is connected to an end of the multicore fiber by means of a tapered multicore coupler comprising a plurality of individual fibers having respectivefirst ends joined together at a tapered coupler body,

wherein cores of the individual fibers extend through the tapered coupler body, terminating at an endface having a core configuration matching the configuration of the individual cores of the multicore fiber,

wherein the coupler endface is connected to the multicore fiber, and

wherein the individual fibers have respective ends connected to respective devices in the at least one of the first and second pluralities of transmission devices.

18. The optical data link of claim 17, wherein the multicore fiber is a single-mode multicore fiber.

19. The optical data link of claim 17, wherein the first and second pluralities of transmission devices are connected to respective ends of the multicore fiber by means of respective tapered multicore couplers.

20. An optical access network, comprising:

a plurality of passive optical network transceivers;

a plurality of optical splitters; and

a multichannel transmission link having a first end connected to the plurality of passive optical network transceivers and a second end connected to the plurality of optical splitters to form a plurality of parallel transmission channels therebetween,

wherein the multichannel transmission link comprises at least one span of a multicore fiber with a plurality of individual cores, and

wherein the multichannel transmission link comprises a multicore fiber span that is connected to the plurality of optical splitters by means of a tapered multicore coupler comprising a plurality of individual fibers haying respective first ends joined together at a tapered coupler body,

wherein cores of the individual fibers extend through the tapered coupler body, terminating at an endface having a core configuration matching the configuration of the individual cores of the multicore fiber,

wherein the coupler endface is connected to the multicore fiber, and

wherein the individual fibers have respective ends connected to respective splitters in the plurality of optical splitters.

21. The optical access network of claim 20, wherein the multicore fiber is a single-mode multicore fiber.

22. The optical access network of claim 20,

wherein the plurality of passive optical network transceivers is connected to an end of a multicore fiber span means of a first tapered multicore coupler, and

wherein the plurality of optical splitters is connected to an end of a multicore fiber span by means of a second tapered multicore coupler.

23. The optical access network of claim 20,

wherein the plurality of passive optical network transceivers is configured as an array,

wherein the multichannel transmission link includes a multicore fiber has a span of a multicore fiber having a core configuration matching the array configuration of the plurality of passive optical network transceivers,

and wherein the multicore fiber span having the matching core configuration has an endface connected directly to the plurality of passive optical network transceivers, with the individual cores of the multicore fiber span aligned with respective transceivers in the plurality of passive optical network transceivers.