Ultra-broadband tapered mode-selective couplers for few-mode optical fiber networks

Abstract

Tapered mode-selective couplers are shown to allow for ultra-broadband mode-division multiplexing of few-mode optical fiber. Using appropriate three-core configurations, modes of arbitrary spatial-orientation can be demultiplexed. The successful fabrication of these wavelength-insensitive couplers would represent the realization of compact low-loss mode-multiplexers for use in high-bandwidth few-mode fiber networks.