Free-Space Optical Communication (FSO) is a method of communication that uses light propagating in free space (typically air or vacuum) to transmit data wirelessly. In FSO systems, information is modulated onto a light beam, which is then directed and received by optical transceivers. This technology is sometimes referred to as “optical wireless communication” or “laser communication.”
We experimentally demonstrate real time mode division multiplexing free space optical communication with commercial 400G open and disaggregated transponders. As proof of concept,using HG00, HG10, and HG01 modes, we transmit 1.2 Tb/s/l (3´1l´400Gb/s) error free.
In this work, for the first time, we experimentally demonstrate mode division multiplexing-based bidirectional free space optical communication in real-time using commercial transponders. As proof of concept, via bidirectional pairs of Hermite-Gaussian modes (HG00, HG10, and HG01), using a Telecom Infra Project Phoenix compliant commercial 400G transponder, 400-Gb/s data signals (56-Gbaud, DP-16QAM) are bidirectionally transmitted error free, i.e., with less than 1e-2 pre-FEC BERs, over approximately 1-m of free space
Vast geographical distances in Africa are a leading cause for the so-called digital divide due to the high cost of installing fiber. Free-space optical (FSO) communications offer a convenient and higher bandwidth alternative to point-to-point radio microwave links, with the possibility of repurposing existing infrastructure. Unfortunately, the range of high-bandwidth FSO remains limited. While there has been extensive research into an optimal mode set for FSO to achieve maximum data throughput by mode division multiplexing, there has been relatively little work investigating optical modes to improve the resilience of FSO links. Here, we experimentally show that a carefully chosen subset of Hermite-Gaussian modes is more resilient to atmospheric turbulence than similar Laguerre-Gauss beams, with a predicted upper bound increase in propagation distance of 167% at a mode-dependent loss of 50%.
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