MULTICORE OPTICAL FIBER WITH A RANDOMIZED CORE STRUCTURE

摘要

Multicore optical fibers are disclosed that have randomly arranged cores within a cladding matrix. In some cases, the cores are defined by air lines formed in a glass matrix. The cores can have an edge-to-edge spacing designed so that the multicore optical fiber operates in either a weak-coupling regime or a strong-coupling regime. Imaging systems and optical fiber communication systems that utilize the multicore fibers disclosed here are also presented.

主权项

1. A multicore optical fiber comprising:
a glass matrix having a front endface, a back endface, a length, refractive index n20 and a central axis; a plurality of cores randomly arranged within the glass matrix and that run generally parallel to the central axis between the front and back endfaces and having respective refractive indices n50, wherein n50>n20, and wherein the glass matrix serves as a common cladding for the plurality of cores so that each core and the common cladding define a waveguide; and wherein any two cores have an edge-to-edge spacing S that is greater than a minimum distance SMIN defined by a maximum amount of allowable cross-talk between adjacent cores.