Convergence of Multimode and Few-Mode Networks in Short-Reach Networks

This project addresses the increasing traffic in communication networks, particularly in access, premise, and data center networks, where single-mode fibers (SMF) are reaching their capacity limit ("Capacity Crunch"). Advanced fibers like Few-Mode Fiber (FMF) are explored as alternatives to Multimode Fiber (MMF), even though MMF is preferred for short-reach links due to its low cost, despite suffering from high modal dispersion. FMF offers advantages over SMF by being less sensitive to nonlinear effects and having similar performance regarding chromatic dispersion and losses. However, FMF presents the drawback of differential group mode delay (DMGD). This work focuses on mitigating this DMGD through optical fiber splicing, aiming to improve MMF performance in short-reach networks. The methodology involves state-of-the-art research, implementing models using specialized optical network simulation software, and experimentally validating the results for subsequent drafting and publication of a scientific article.<br/><br/><b>Goal</b>: <br/>The main objective is to reduce the differential mode delay (DMD) of multimode optical fiber (MMF) by splicing it with few-mode optical fiber (FMF) to improve the performance of short-reach optical networks.<br/><br/><b>Research lines</b>: <br/>Telecommunications and information technologies