Abstract

GCI-286 “Ariadne’s Braid” describes a structured multimode optical communication architecture in which modal coupling is intentionally engineered rather than suppressed. The system combines wavelength-division multiplexing, dual-polarization encoding, and low-order spatial modes within a controlled propagation medium designed to produce a repeatable and bounded channel matrix. Instead of relying on ideal mode isolation, the receiver estimates the channel response and reconstructs transmitted signals using regularized digital signal processing techniques.

The prototype integrates four optical wavelengths, dual polarization states, and four low-order vortex-like spatial modes within a single engineered waveguide, yielding up to 32 concurrent data streams. The propagation medium employs a structured geometry—such as a helically perturbed few-mode fiber or patterned multimode waveguide—to bias modal coupling toward stable, characterizable mixing patterns. This enables computational inversion of the channel using methods such as minimum mean square error estimation.

The objective is to evaluate whether structured channel engineering can increase recoverable channel dimensionality and spectral efficiency relative to conventional single-mode systems, while maintaining practical bit error rates. Target performance includes a 3×–5× aggregate throughput improvement under equivalent power constraints, with stability evaluated through channel condition number tracking and periodic calibration over extended operation.

This disclosure provides a reproducible experimental framework for investigating controlled optical mixing and computational signal recovery in high-dimensional communication systems.

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Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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