Petrovich, MN,Poletti, F,Wooler, JP,Heidt, AM,Baddela, NK,Li, Z,Gray, DR,Slavik, R,Parmigiani, F,Wheeler, NV,Hayes, JR,Numkam, E,Gruner-Nielsen, L,Palsdottir, B,Phelan, R,Kelly, B,O'Carroll, J,Becker, M,MacSuibhne, N,Zhao, J,Gunning, FCG,Ellis, AD,Petropoulos, P,Alam, SU,Richardson, DJ

2013

November

Optics Express

Demonstration of amplified data transmission at 2 mu m in a low-loss wide bandwidth hollow core photonic bandgap fiber

Validated

()

OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS CRYSTAL FIBERS

21

28559

28569

The first demonstration of a hollow core photonic bandgap fiber (HC-PBGF) suitable for high-rate data transmission in the 2 mu m waveband is presented. The fiber has a record low loss for this wavelength region (4.5 dB/km at 1980 nm) and a > 150 nm wide surface-mode-free transmission window at the center of the bandgap. Detailed analysis of the optical modes and their propagation along the fiber, carried out using a time-of-flight technique in conjunction with spatially and spectrally resolved (S-2) imaging, provides clear evidence that the HC-PBGF can be operated as quasi-single mode even though it supports up to four mode groups. Through the use of a custom built Thulium doped fiber amplifier with gain bandwidth closely matched to the fiber's low loss window, error-free 8 Gbit/s transmission in an optically amplified data channel at 2008 nm over 290 m of 19 cell HC-PBGF is reported. (C) 2013 Optical Society of America

10.1364/OE.21.028559