Open AccessPolarisation and wavelength division multiplexing at 1.55 ?m for bandwidth enhancement of multimode fibre based access networks
Author(s) -
Etienne Rochat,
S.D. Walker,
Michael C. Parker
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/opex.12.002280
Subject(s) - optics , monochromator , wavelength division multiplexing , multiplexing , wavelength , bandwidth (computing) , transmission (telecommunications) , multi mode optical fiber , polarization division multiplexing , demultiplexer , materials science , optoelectronics , physics , optical fiber , multiplexer , computer science , telecommunications
We demonstrate how a combination of polarisation-division multiplexing (PDM) and wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) applied to graded index 50 mum multimode fibres (MMF) at 1.55 mum can be used to greatly increase the available optical bandwidth. A proof of principle experiment demonstrated error-free data transmission over 3km of MMF, using two 100GHz-spaced wavelengths, each carrying two 2.5Gb/s orthogonal PDM multiplexed channels, resulting in a 10Gb/s data rate. Polarisation and wavelength demultiplexing were simultaneously achieved by use of a grating based monochromator. We also practically implemented this transmission scheme in an all-fibre experiment, replacing the monochromator by a more convenient polarisation-insensitive, 200GHz ITU grid spacing 62.5 mum MMF pigtailed WDM demultiplexer. Using two polarizations each on four wavelengths (2P x 4lambda), we repeatedly achieved error-free data transmission for both circularly and linearly polarisation-wavelength-division-multiplexed channels over a MMF span of 300m, featuring a 20Gb/s data rate. Overall, we have demonstrated a major increase in the MMF bandwidth-distance product up to 30GHz-km.