Silicon mode multiplexer processing dual-path mode-division multiplexing signals.

Great strides have been made in the optical interconnect for a mode-division multiplexing (MDM) system. The mode multiplexer/demultiplexer (MUX/DEMUX) is the crucial component for the MDM system. We propose and demonstrate a scheme that is different from the reported multiplexing schemes, mode MUX that tackles dual-path MDM signals simultaneously and avoids mode conflict. The performance is experimentally demonstrated by integrating the proposed MUX and DEMUX into a MDM link, with ∼1  dB of insertion loss and ∼18  dB extinction ratio over the C-band. Single-wavelength, non-return-to-zero on-off keying signals at 10 Gb/s carried on dual-path different modes are successfully processed with open and clear eye diagrams, and <1  dB power penalty are obtained.