Modelling and experimental investigation of multicore fiber systems for next generation optical networks

In a little over 20 years, Internet has gone from a private network to global phenomenon, allowing the existence of platforms that enable and support economic, social, and political activities. Nowadays, optical communication technologies have to be able to keep up with the ever increasing data demands of such applications. In this regard, new alternatives of systems and optical fibers are being investigated so as to provide adequate answers to the questions of the near future. Multicore fibers are one of the explored alternatives to upgrade the currently existing fiber networks. They are, in short, optical fibers that feature N optical waveguides (cores) encompassed by a single cladding structure, which are capable of transporting N different optical signals simultaneously. This overall increase in capacity comes at the expense of crosstalk–an undesired interaction among the optical signals. This work focuses on the evaluation of state-of-the-art multicore fiber technology from the point of view of a communication system.