Quality evaluation of multi-core optical fibre demonstration

Anritsu Corporation will present a live demonstration of a quality evaluation solution for multi-core optical fibre, attracting attention as a next-generation optical communications technology at ECOC 2025.

The company's multi-channel OTDR solution for weakly coupled multi-core optical fibre delivers comprehensive quality evaluation by visualising inter-core crosstalk distribution, transmission loss, and optical return loss along the distance axis. The solution identifies specific locations with degraded performance along multi-core optical fibre, allowing optimisation of installation conditions during R&D field tests. By evaluating all cores simultaneously without fibre reconnection, the solution significantly improves inspection efficiency for multi-core optical fibre systems while delivering detailed analysis of parameter changes at connection points, streamlining both research and operational deployment phases.

With the rapid growth of AI and cloud services, demand for higher transmission capacity of optical submarine cables and data centre interconnects continues to increase. Conventional single-mode fibre provides only one optical path per fibre, limiting per-fibre transmission capacity. Recent R&D has focused on multi-core optical fibres with multiple independent cores within a single fibre as a solution. Weakly coupled multi-core fibre, which suppresses interference between cores, is expected to enable both stable signal quality and high-capacity transmission. However, to utilise weakly coupled multi-core fibre in communications infrastructure, it is essential to characterise inter-core crosstalk, as it affects transmission quality. Reliable measurement methods are required across design, manufacturing, and operational phases to identify factors that cause crosstalk variation.

Anritsu will continue to support and contribute to the deployment of multi-core optical fibre as a next-generation optical communications technology across R&D and fibre manufacturing.

Visit Anritsu at ECOC 2025, booth C4335, from September 29 to October 1, 2025.