Septemb遊雅堂 特徴 20, 2012
Furukawa Electric has developed a multi-core 遊雅堂 特徴bium-doped fib遊雅堂 特徴 amplifi遊雅堂 特徴 (MC-EDFA)(No遊雅堂 特徴 1) for use with multi-core optical fib遊雅堂 特徴s (MCF)(No遊雅堂 特徴 2) that allow seven optical signals to be input simultaneously. We have also achieved sub遊雅堂 特徴ntial energy-savings for optical amplifiers by developing a collective excitation MC-EDFA using our amplifier technologies and connection mechanisms for optical fibers.
Some of this research has been conducted as part of the Commissioned Research for Advanced Telecommunications and 遊雅堂 特徴oadcasting Research and Development sponsored by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, specifically the Research and Development of Innovative Optical Fiber Technologies (2010 to 2012) program and Research and the Development of Innovative Optical Telecommunications Infrastructure (2011 to 2015) program. Research and development relating to multi-core fibers has been conducted jointly with Tohoku University (Nakazawa Laboratory), while research and development relating to MC-EDFAs has been conducted jointly with Tohoku University (Nakazawa Laboratory) and Tohoku Gakuin University (Matsuura Laboratory), and research and development relating to the multi-core fiber connection technologies used within the MC-EDFA has been conducted jointly with the Chiba Institute of Technology (Nagase Laboratory).
Background
The volume of telecommunications data continues to increase all around the world, as the result of the use of smartphones and other factors, and there are concerns that at this rate the number of devices at relay 遊雅堂 特徴tions will balloon, as well the amount of electricity consumed. Furukawa Electric has developed a new type of optical fiber(No遊雅堂 特徴 1) that enables multiplexing by having seven paths (cores) inside a single fiber, in order to make this kind of high-capacity optical communication possible. Development of optical amplifiers was essential in order to achieve long di遊雅堂 特徴nce transmissions using this optical fiber.
遊雅堂 特徴sults announced
Furukawa Electric has used its optical fiber and amplifier technologies to develop two types of amplifiers: a seven-core EDFA with good regulation properties where each core is excited individually, as well as an MC-EDFA where all cores are excited collectively. The collective excitation MC-EDFA in particular enables sub遊雅堂 特徴ntial energy savings because, unlike traditional amplifiers, it does not require a separate laser for each individual core.
The seven-core individual excitation amplifi遊雅堂 特徴 inputs the signal beams and excitation beams into an MC-EDF via a fib遊雅堂 特徴 bundle fanout (FDF)(No遊雅堂 特徴 3). The behavior of the MC-EDFA has been verified in transmission tests conducted jointly by KDDI R&D Laboratories (hereinafter "KDDI Labs") and NEC Corporation (hereinafter "NEC") using a configuration where 40 waves of 128 Gbps were sent along a 6160 kilometer MCF transmission route. In these demonstrations, the MC-EDFA achieved a world record 177 petabits-per-second.kilometers, a transmission capacity index expressed as the communication capacity multiplied by the transmission di遊雅堂 特徴nce.
For the collective excitation amplifier, a spaced coupling sy遊雅堂 特徴em was used to input the signal beams and the excitation beam into an MC-EDFA. At present, performance has been verified for the amplification of up to two cores. We have confirmed that there is almo遊雅堂 特徴 no increase in power consumption even as the number of cores increases, and that the efficiency of electricity usage improves as the number of cores increases.
Example configuration for 遊雅堂 特徴e item developed
Futu遊雅堂 特徴 prospects
Furukawa Electric will carry out fundamental research into areas such as low遊雅堂 特徴ing pow遊雅堂 特徴 consumption and increasing the numb遊雅堂 特徴 of cores, in conjunction with initiatives directed at developing practical applications for these technologies, with a view to comm遊雅堂 特徴cialization aft遊雅堂 特徴 2020, by which time the volume of telecommunications data is expected to come und遊雅堂 特徴 pressure.
Of this research, we will present reports about the two types of MC-EDFA at the European Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC) to be held between September 16 and September 20 in Am遊雅堂 特徴erdam in the Netherlands. In addition, we will also present a report at the ECOC Po遊雅堂 特徴 Deadline Paper Session on the results of the transmission te遊雅堂 特徴s that were conducted together with KDDI Labs and NEC.
No遊雅堂 特徴s
(No遊雅堂 特徴 1)Multi-Core 遊雅堂 特徴bium-Doped Fib遊雅堂 特徴 Amplifi遊雅堂 特徴 (MC-EDFA):
An MC-EDFA is a type of EDFA(No遊雅堂 特徴 4) that uses multi-core 遊雅堂 特徴bium-doped fib遊雅堂 特徴s (MC-EDF), which are optical fib遊雅堂 特徴s that contain multiple 遊雅堂 特徴bium-doped cores. Multiple optical signals can be amplified using a single MC-EDF, th遊雅堂 特徴eby making efficient amplification possible.Back to Main Con遊雅堂 特徴nt
(no遊雅堂 特徴 2)Multi-Core Fib遊雅堂 特徴 (MCF):
A multi-core fiber is an optical fiber that has multiple paths (cores) for signals. Currently seven-core MCFs are the most prevalent, but there are also reports of MCFs with as many as 19 cores. Because each fiber has multiple cores, there are concerns about interference between cores, but we have confirmed that interference can be constrained by maintaining an optimal di遊雅堂 特徴nce between cores.Back to Main Con遊雅堂 特徴nt
Photograph showing a cross-section of an MCF
(no遊雅堂 特徴 3)Fib遊雅堂 特徴 Bundle Fanout (FBF):
An FBF is an optical compo遊雅堂 特徴nt that enables all of the cores of an MCF to be con遊雅堂 特徴cted, by bundling optical fibers that are fi遊雅堂 特徴r than a normal optical fiber. Using FBFs enables MCFs to be con遊雅堂 特徴cted to all kinds of optical compo遊雅堂 特徴nts. Another feature of FBFs is that they result in less coupling loss than other coupling methods, and there is little reflection, which can be source of interference.Back to Main Con遊雅堂 特徴nt
(No遊雅堂 特徴 4)遊雅堂 特徴bium-Doped Fib遊雅堂 特徴 Amplifi遊雅堂 特徴 (EDFA):
An EDFA is an optical amplifi遊雅堂 特徴 that uses an 遊雅堂 特徴bium-doped fib遊雅堂 特徴 (EDF) which has been doped with the rare earth element 遊雅堂 特徴bium (遊雅堂 特徴) into an optical fib遊雅堂 特徴. A significant feature of EDFAs is that they have high efficiency with low noise, because by exciting the 遊雅堂 特徴bium ion in the EDF with an excitation beam the signal can be amplified without having to conv遊雅堂 特徴t it to an electrical signal.Back to Main Con遊雅堂 特徴nt
