Advanced Modulation and Multiple-Input Multiple-Output for Multimode Fiber Links

We evaluate the performance of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) concepts and their applicability in increasing data rates achievable in multimode fibers. We draw on several MIMO techniques used commonly in wireless standards, and experimentally evaluate their performance benefits to a 3-km multimode fiber link. Using two transmitters and two detectors in concert, with orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM), we achieved a data rate of 12 Gb/s, exceeding the fiber's characteristic bandwidth length product by over 20-fold. It is expected that MIMO strategies can provide significant benefits to local and metropolitan area networks in terms of network cost and complexity, power budget, and data rate.