Mode Division Multiplexing using Principal Modes as Carriers in MMFs with Different Number of Guided Modes

We investigate the concept of mode division multiplexing (MDM) in multimode fibers (MMF) using so called principal modes (PM) as carriers. Some of the challenges when using PMs as carriers are presented and their impact on MDM transmission are analyzed. An eye opening penalty criteria of 2dB is used to quantify the usability of each PM for MDM operation as a function of number of guided eigenmodes in the MMF. Simulations show that the amount of usable PMs are highly dependent on mode coupling strength and do not necessarily increase as the number of eigenmodes increase in the MMF.