Key Technological Issues In Mode Division Multiplexing For High Capacity Optical Fiber Transmission Systems

In optical fiber transmission systems, it is a continuous pursuit to develop higher capacity transmission systems due to development of many high speed applications. This pursuit transformed the conventional modulation formats of on-off keying to higher order modulations and single channel to multiplexed transmission in form of wavelength division multiplexing. However it is envisaged that increasing demand of high speed transmission will soon saturate the capacity of single mode optical fibers. Mode division multiplexing is assumed to be the solution of capacity problem and future of optical fiber transmission systems.In our dissertation, we performed a theoretical and numerical study of key issues in mode division multiplexing for step index few mode fibers. We proceeded on this study by exploring theoretical reasoning of mode division multiplexing followed by discussions on important devices in this new transmission system. The core of this dissertation is the study of important transmission parameters of mode coupling, modal group delay dispersion and mode dependent losses. We laid the theoretical discussion to know about the relationship of above mentioned parameters to physical parameters of optical fiber. Numerical analysis for each parameter has been performed to sort optimum conditions for development of suitable few mode fibers for future systems.In addition to the study of transmission parameters as a function of physical parameters of optical fibers, statistical study of group delays and mode dependent losses has also been made. Statistics of these parameters play important role in long haul mode multiplexed systems. Study of variance and probability distribution functions of group delays and mode dependent losses have been made for long haul systems. These studies are important in implementing optimum signal processing at receiver and computing channel capacities in a given scenario...