Research Projects

The new dimension of optical communications involves using different modes of the optical fiber and free-space channel. Multiplexing methods and technologies are being developed independently for these channels without addressing interoperability issues. This project aims to design and develop mode division multiplexing schemes for the fiber and free-space converged communication channel using customized all-fiber transmitter and receiver heads. These structures are multimode interference-based all-fiber designs used for generating and receiving free-space beams. The free-space beam is obtained from one-to-one mapping between the terminating few mode fiber mode and the free-space mode, enabling seamless transition from fiber to free-space and vice versa. The receiver head is the same structure operating in the reverse propagation direction, matching the spot sizes of the beam falling on the receiver head to the spot of the single desired mode in the receiver few mode fiber. Analytical modeling of propagation with one-to-one mapping between fiber and free-space modes will be carried out. The concept of multi-beam propagation of the field exiting from the fiber end-facet will be developed.