Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

An optical fiber network includes a single mode silica core/cladding optical fiber having a cutoff wavelength in the range of about 1000-1200 nanometers, and a plurality of optical couplers serially disposed on the optical fiber so as to form a bus network, with each optical coupler injecting its own unique optical signal into the optical fiber so as to be multiplexed in time, each optical signal injected having a dominant light intensity wavelength below the cutoff wavelength of the optical fiber. Each injected signal propagates initially via a plurality of modes. According to the invention the optical couplers are designed or other means are provided for preferentially attenuating all modes in each optical signal above that of the fundamental modes such that an optical receiver at an end of the optical fiber is capable of detecting signals at a data rate so as to result in a bandwidth far in excess of the multimode bandwidth normally associated with such a fiber at the dominant wavelength of the light emitters. An additional advantage is that an intensity of the fundamental mode is enhanced by mode shifting of optical power from the higher order modes of each optical signal initially supported by the optical fiber.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim