Weakly guiding graded-index ring-core fiber supporting 16-channel long distance mode division multiplexing systems based on OAM modes with low MIMO-DSP complexity

We propose a weakly guiding graded-index ring-core fiber (RCF) with trench-assisted structure. The simulation analysis indicates that such a special fiber design is able to support 8 orbital angular momentum (OAM) mode groups (MGs) with low inter-group crosstalk (< -25 dB/km) and low intra-group differential mode delay (DMD) (< 125 ps/km) for higher order OAM MGs with topological charge |l| = 4, 5, 6, 7. The designed RCF also shows favorable tolerance characteristics to ellipticity and bending. Moreover, stable and distinguished broadband performance of proposed RCF is verified over the whole C band ranging from 1530 nm to 1565 nm. This kind of fiber design could be employed in small-scale multiple-input multiple-output digital signal processing (MIMO-DSP) intra-group modes multiplexing transmission combined with MIMO-free inter-group mode multiplexing transmission. The simulated results of the designed RCF show its great potential of the 16-channel long-distance mode division multiplexing (MDM) transmission with low MIMO-DSP complexity.(c) 2022 Optica Publishing Group under the terms of the Optica Open Access Publishing Agreement