Broadband optical fibre with an attenuation lower than 0.1 decibel per kilometre
M. N. Petrovich, Eric Numkam Fokoua, Yong Chen, Hesham Sakr, Abubakar I. Adamu, Muhammad Rosdi Abu Hassan, Dong Wu, Ron Fatobene Ando, Athanasios N. Papadimopoulos, S. R. Sandoghchi, Gregory T. Jasion, Francesco Poletti
Abstract
Abstract A critical component of optical communications is the availability of a suitable waveguide technology for the transport of electromagnetic waves with low loss over a broad spectral range. In the past four decades, despite extensive research, the attenuation and spectral bandwidth of silica-based optical fibres have remained relatively unchanged, with state-of-the-art fibres offering values of 0.14 dB km −1 and 26 THz below 0.2 dB km −1 , respectively. Here we report a microstructured optical waveguide with unprecedented transmission bandwidth and attenuation, with a measured loss of 0.091 dB km −1 at 1,550 nm that remains below 0.2 dB km −1 over a window of 66 THz. Instead of a traditional solid glass core, this innovative optical fibre features a core of air surrounded by a meticulously engineered glass microstructure to guide light. This approach not only reduces attenuation and other signal degradation phenomena, but it also increases transmission speeds by 45%. Furthermore, the approach theoretically supports further loss reductions and operation at wavelengths where broader bandwidth amplifiers exist, potentially heralding a new era in long-distance communications as well as remote delivery of laser beams.