High Spectral-Efficiency, Ultra-low MIMO SDM Transmission over a Field-Deployed Multi-Core OAM Fiber

Few-mode multi-core fiber (FM-MCF) based Space-Division Multiplexing (SDM) systems possess the potential to maximize the number of multiplexed spatial channels per fiber by harnessing both the space (fiber cores) and mode (optical mode per core) dimensions. However, to date, no SDM transmissions over field-deployed FM-MCFs in realistic outdoor settings have been reported, which contrasts with SDM schemes demonstrated using single-mode multi-core fibers (SM-MCFs) installed in practical fiber cable ducts. In this paper, we present the successful demonstration of bidirectional SDM transmission over a 5-km field-deployed seven ring-core fiber (7-RCF) with a cladding diameter of 178 $μ$m, achieving a Spectral Efficiency (SE) of 2$\times$201.6 bit/s/Hz. This work establishes a new record for the highest SE attained in SDM demonstrations utilizing field-deployed fiber cables, achieving an approximate 10x increase compared to the SE of reported field-deployed optical fiber cable transmission systems. Notably, these results are realized through the utilization of small-scale modular 4$\times$4 multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) processing with a time-domain equalization (TDE) tap number not exceeding 15, maintaining a complexity per unit capacity comparable to that of MIMO equalization in SDM demonstrations employing weakly coupled SM-MCF cables. These results underscore the significant potential for achieving heightened SE and expanding capacity per individual fiber using SDM techniques in practical applications.