Compensation for multimode fiber dispersion by adaptive optics

Abstract

Adaptive optics is used to compensate for modal dispersion in digital transmission through multimode fiber (MMF). At the transmitter, a spatial light modulator (SLM) controls the launched field pattern. An estimate of intersymbol interference (ISI) caused by modal dispersion is formed at the receiver and fed back to the transmitter, where the SLM is adjusted to minimize ISI. Error-free transmission of 10 Gbit/s non-return-to-zero signals through standard 50 microm graded-index MMFs up to 11.1 km long is demonstrated. It is shown that a single SLM can compensate for modal dispersion across a 600 GHz bandwidth.