305 Tb/s Space Division Multiplexed Transmission Using Homogeneous 19-Core Fiber

We report record capacity data transmission at 305 Tb/s over 10.1 km, using space division multiplexing (SDM) with 19 channels. To realize such a large SDM channel number, we fabricated a trench-assisted homogeneous 19-core fiber with average intercore crosstalk of about -32 dB at 1550 nm. We also fabricated a 19-channel SDM multiplexer/demultiplexer using free-space optics with low insertion losses and low additional crosstalk. The data signal transmitted through each SDM channel was 100 wavelength division multiplexing (100 GHz spacing) 2 × 86 Gb/s polarization-division-multiplexed quadrature phase shift keying signals and the spectral efficiency was 30.5 b/s/Hz.