Coupled-Core Multi-Core Fibers for Spatial Multiplexing

Coupled-core multi-core fibers (MCFs) offer characteristics that are beneficial for long-haul spatially multiplexed transmission. Using full-vector solution of the wave equation, we study the number of propagating modes and several modal characteristics, including intermodal beat lengths, group delay spread, mode-dependent chromatic dispersion, and intramodal and intermodal effective areas. We identify a range of design parameters that simultaneously optimizes these characteristics. Our results demonstrate the limited accuracy of perturbation-based analyses in characterizing MCFs with closely spaced cores.