Passive Optical Networks with Mode Coupling Receivers

A method comprising:

• receiving, via a passive optical network (PON) optical distribution network (ODN), a plurality of single mode upstream optical channels from a plurality of optical network terminals (ONTs) via single mode fibers;
• combining the single mode optical upstream channels into a multimode optical channel;
• detecting a plurality of optical modes within the multimode optical channel;
• transmitting a downstream optical channel;
• splitting the downstream optical channel into a plurality of copied downstream optical channels in a splitter;
• and
• sending the copied downstream optical channels to the ONTs,
• wherein neither the downstream optical channel nor the copied downstream optical channels travel though the single mode fibers.

An apparatus comprising:

• an optical transmitter configured to transmit a first optical signal;
• a first splitter having 1:N splitting ratio, coupled to the optical transmitter, and configured to split the first optical signal into a number N of first optical signal copies to transmit the number N of first optical signal copies to a plurality of optical terminals (ONTs) via an optical distribution network (ODN) comprising a plurality of second splitters;
• a mode coupler coupled to the ODN via a number N of single-mode waveguides positioned between the mode coupler and the ODN, wherein the mode coupler is configured to receive second optical signals from the plurality of ONTs via the number N of single mode waveguides and combine the second optical signals into a multi-mode waveguide;
• and
• an optical receiver coupled to the mode coupler via the multi-mode waveguide and configured to detect the combined optical signals from the multi-mode waveguide.