Preface to the special issue on next-generation multiplexing schemes in fiber-based systems

Essiambre, René Jean, Jung, Yongmin and Yamamoto, Takashi , Sillard, Pierre (ed.) (2017) Preface to the special issue on next-generation multiplexing schemes in fiber-based systems. Optical Fiber Technology, 35 (2), 1. (doi:10.1016/j.yofte.2017.02.003).

Abstract

Since the beginning of optical communications in the late 70s, capacity has kept up with the exponential growth of traffic demand. This has been enabled by many technologies among which the most up-to-date wavelength multiplexing combined with coherent detection of polarized-multiplexed quadrature-amplitude-modulated signals. There is, however, a growing realization that this might no longer be sufficient and that next-generation multiplexing schemes are needed to avoid an imminent capacity crunch.

Spatial multiplexing, introduced more than 3 decades ago, appears today as the last degree of freedom that can offer multiple orders of magnitude of capacity growth required to sustain the traffic demand. The potential of spatial multiplexing lies in its ability to exploit multiple cores and/or multiple modes within a single optical fiber. Since 2011 and new promising demonstrations, impressive progresses have been made. New optical fibers, components and subsystems have been developed, and record-capacity transmissions have been demonstrated. Significant efforts have also been spent to turn these research results into practical solutions.

This special issue features the state-of-the-art research activities in spatial multiplexing. 13 distinguished researchers and their colleagues were invited to contribute with overviews of the latest advances in their research fields. These invited papers can be categorized into 3 groups as follows:
• Optical fibers: few-mode, multi-core, and few-mode multi-core fibers.
• Components and connectivity: amplifiers, (de-)multiplexers, and splicing
• Systems: high-capacity transmissions, and passive optical networks.
We hope that this collection will provide the readers with an in-depth overview of the most recent trends in spatial multiplexing schemes in fiber-based systems and stimulate further advances in this renewed field.

Finally, we would like to thank all of the authors for their invaluable contributions, and Bertrand Desthieux, Editor-in-Chief, for encouraging and promoting this special issue.

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Contributors

Author: Yongmin Jung

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