Researchers have developed a new type of optical fibre that directs light through air in its hollow core rather than traditional solid glass, potentially increasing data transmission speeds by up to 45 per cent.
Similarly, as per the researchers, the study published in Nature Photonics highlights that this design may achieve the lowest levels of information loss ever recorded for an optical fibre, enabling larger volumes of data to be transmitted over longer distances before requiring amplification.
Typically, optical fibres used widely in telecommunications are cylindrical in shape and made of solid silica glass. Despite decades of refinement, these fibres remain limited in their ability to transmit information without losses.
Further, light energy absorbed by the material itself is a major reason for such information loss. About half of the light sent through a standard fibre is lost after around 20 kilometres (km), necessitating frequent use of amplifiers to strengthen signals for long-distance transmission, including intercontinental communication.
Therefore, the newly designed fibre incorporates a hollow air-filled core surrounded by a delicate arrangement of thin silica rings to guide the light. Lab tests showed that this fibre recorded an information loss of only 0.091 decibels per km at a wavelength commonly used in optical communications.
Meaning, light signals of suitable wavelengths could travel nearly 50 per cent further without amplification.
Additionally, earlier studies have documented losses ranging between 0.2 decibels per km and 3.5 decibels per km in conventional optical fibres, depending on the transmitted wavelength. A larger hollow core allowing for greater air flow could potentially reduce losses even further, though additional research is required to validate this.
