Reconfigurable On-Chip Mode Exchange for Mode-Division Multiplexing Optical Networks

Data exchange plays a key role in enhancing network resources utilization and optimizing network performance. In this paper, a data exchange device based on mode-division multiplexing (MDM) technology is proposed and demonstrated, which is capable of exchanging data information between a fundamental mode (TE
₀
) signal and an arbitrary high-order mode (TE
_x
) signal. We experimentally demonstrate the exchange between a TE
₀
mode signal and a TE
₁
mode signal using single microring resonator. The insertion loss is about 7.5 dB, including terminal coupling loss, the extinction ratio is more than 20 dB within the C-band. The crosstalk for the TE
₁
-to-TE
₀
and TE
₀
-to-TE
₁
mode conversions is measured to be less than -22 and -16 dB, respectively. Clear and open-eye diagrams of two different wavelength signals at 10 Gb/s are obtained. The proposed scheme is expected to be used for on-chip MDM networks in the future due to its scalability, compact size, and low power consumption.