Optical communication system using a photonic lantern

An optical system comprising:

• a) an optical transmitting unit coupled to a signal transmitting path;
• b) an optical receiving unit coupled to a signal receiving path;
• c) a photonic lantern, the photonic lantern extending between a first open end and a second open end, the first open end comprising an opening to a single multi-mode fiber, and the second open end comprising a plurality of single mode fibers that are adiabatically coupled to the multi-mode fiber, the plurality of single-mode fibers include a first single-mode fiber and a plurality of remaining single-mode fibers,
• wherein,
• the first single-mode fiber is coupled to the signal transmitting path,
• the remaining single-mode fibers are coupled to the signal receiving path,
• the first end is coupled to an external optical signal path;
• the signal receiving path comprises a first receiving path portion and a second receiving path portion, the first receiving path portion comprising a plurality of fiber-specific paths that are coupled to each of the remaining single-mode fibers;
• the optical system is adapted to receive an optical signal from the external optical signal path through the opening to the multi-mode fiber, the optical signal being received off-axis wherein the received optical signal travels in an inward direction through the photonic lantern and exits from one or more of the remaining single-mode fibers at the second end;
• and
• the optical system is adapted to transmit an outgoing optical signal to the external optical signal path, wherein the outgoing optical signal is transmitted from the optical transmitting unit along the signal transmitting path to the first single-mode fiber and through the photonic lantern to the external optical signal path.

An optical system comprising:

• a) an optical transmitting unit coupled to a signal transmitting path;
• b) an optical receiving unit coupled to a signal receiving path;
• c) a modified photonic lantern, the modified photonic lantern extending between a first open end and a second open end, the first open end comprising a single multi-mode fiber and a central-single mode fiber, the multi-mode fiber surrounding the central single-mode fiber, and the second end comprising a plurality of single mode fibers that are adiabatically coupled to the multi-mode fiber, each single-mode fiber adapted to carry a higher order optical mode, the second end further comprising the central single-mode fiber, wherein the central single-mode fiber extends between the first open end and the second open end and is adapted to carry a fundamental optical mode,
• wherein,
• the central single-mode fiber is coupled, at the second end, to the signal transmitting path, and
• the plurality of single-mode fibers are coupled, at the second end, to the signal receiving path,
• the first end of the photonic lantern is coupled to an external optical signal path;
• and
• the optical receiving path comprises a first receiving path portion and a second receiving path portion, the first receiving path portion comprising a plurality of mode-specific paths that are coupled to each single-mode fiber.