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Photonic lanterns, 3-D waveguides, multiplane light conversion, and other components that enable space-division multiplexing

Photonic lanterns, 3-D waveguides, multiplane light conversion, and other components that enable space-division multiplexing
Photonic lanterns, 3-D waveguides, multiplane light conversion, and other components that enable space-division multiplexing
Four-mode multiplexing and manipulation technologies are reviewed in the context of space-division multiplexing (SDM) optical communication systems. These are multiplane light conversion (MPLC), fused fiber devices, such as photonic lanterns and tapered fiber bundles, 3-D waveguides fabricated using ultrafast laser inscription, and free-space imaging systems. Each device has its unique strengths and use cases. MPLC can create very complex transformations between two arbitrary sets of spatial modes and leverages mature gray-scale lithographic techniques. Photonic lanterns and tapered fiber bundles are all-fiber devices that can convert beams on single-mode fiber inputs into spatial modes. The all-fiber construction leads to very low losses and high-power handling. 3-D waveguides are inscribed into a glass block using ultrashort lasers and can arbitrarily route light in 3-D. Finally, free-space systems using lenses can also relay many multicore and multimode beams through a single free-space device, such as a thin film filter or an optical isolator. These four technologies have enabled hero transmission experiments in the multimode, multicore, and multimode fiber.
Laser beams, Multiplane light conversion (MPLC), Multiplexing, Optical device fabrication, Optical losses, Optical waveguides, photonic lanterns, Photonics, ultrafast laser inscription (ULI), Waveguide lasers
0018-9219
1821-1834
Fontaine, Nicolas K.
2035291d-7347-432d-aab3-1b4d40dad999
Carpenter, Joel
78628132-c944-4247-8b1b-ba29cc82d855
Gross, Simon
0258cafc-ce1d-43a9-a14f-a416b491d518
Leon-Saval, Sergio
686befe5-fc78-487b-8d30-153032212768
Jung, Yongmin
6685e51e-be47-4c96-8c4b-65aee3b5126d
Richardson, David J.
ebfe1ff9-d0c2-4e52-b7ae-c1b13bccdef3
Amezcua-Correa, Rodrigo
46528fd3-93c3-4ce9-b478-f0fbf515e232
Fontaine, Nicolas K.
2035291d-7347-432d-aab3-1b4d40dad999
Carpenter, Joel
78628132-c944-4247-8b1b-ba29cc82d855
Gross, Simon
0258cafc-ce1d-43a9-a14f-a416b491d518
Leon-Saval, Sergio
686befe5-fc78-487b-8d30-153032212768
Jung, Yongmin
6685e51e-be47-4c96-8c4b-65aee3b5126d
Richardson, David J.
ebfe1ff9-d0c2-4e52-b7ae-c1b13bccdef3
Amezcua-Correa, Rodrigo
46528fd3-93c3-4ce9-b478-f0fbf515e232

Fontaine, Nicolas K., Carpenter, Joel, Gross, Simon, Leon-Saval, Sergio, Jung, Yongmin, Richardson, David J. and Amezcua-Correa, Rodrigo (2022) Photonic lanterns, 3-D waveguides, multiplane light conversion, and other components that enable space-division multiplexing. Proceedings of the IEEE, 110 (11), 1821-1834. (doi:10.1109/JPROC.2022.3207046).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Four-mode multiplexing and manipulation technologies are reviewed in the context of space-division multiplexing (SDM) optical communication systems. These are multiplane light conversion (MPLC), fused fiber devices, such as photonic lanterns and tapered fiber bundles, 3-D waveguides fabricated using ultrafast laser inscription, and free-space imaging systems. Each device has its unique strengths and use cases. MPLC can create very complex transformations between two arbitrary sets of spatial modes and leverages mature gray-scale lithographic techniques. Photonic lanterns and tapered fiber bundles are all-fiber devices that can convert beams on single-mode fiber inputs into spatial modes. The all-fiber construction leads to very low losses and high-power handling. 3-D waveguides are inscribed into a glass block using ultrashort lasers and can arbitrarily route light in 3-D. Finally, free-space systems using lenses can also relay many multicore and multimode beams through a single free-space device, such as a thin film filter or an optical isolator. These four technologies have enabled hero transmission experiments in the multimode, multicore, and multimode fiber.

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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 12 October 2022
Published date: 1 November 2022
Additional Information: Publisher Copyright: © 1963-2012 IEEE.
Keywords: Laser beams, Multiplane light conversion (MPLC), Multiplexing, Optical device fabrication, Optical losses, Optical waveguides, photonic lanterns, Photonics, ultrafast laser inscription (ULI), Waveguide lasers

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 473080
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/473080
ISSN: 0018-9219
PURE UUID: 29a6539e-331c-4065-8123-8a67318b6234
ORCID for Yongmin Jung: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-9054-4372
ORCID for David J. Richardson: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-7751-1058

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 10 Jan 2023 17:50
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 03:15

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Contributors

Author: Nicolas K. Fontaine
Author: Joel Carpenter
Author: Simon Gross
Author: Sergio Leon-Saval
Author: Yongmin Jung ORCID iD
Author: Rodrigo Amezcua-Correa

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