Experimental Description of Multimode MIMO Channels utilizing Optical Couplers

The concept of MIMO (multiple input multiple output) transmission over multimode fibers has attracted increasing interest within the last years. Theoretically, the performance of the optical MIMO multimode channel is well predictable. However, the realization of the optical MIMO channel requires substantial further research. In this work the efficiency of optical couplers in MIMO systems is studied in a 1,4 km multimode testbed. Optical couplers have long been used as passive optical components being able to combine or split SISO (single-input single-output) data transmission from optical fibers. Comparing the different couplers those which maintain the different optical mode groups support the MIMO transmission more efficiently.