Scientists have developed optical fiber that protects the data even when twist or bent uses the mathematical concept of topology to be more powerful, thus guaranteeing the transmission of high-quality information.
Fiber optics is the backbone of our modern communications network. From long-distance communication over the Internet to high-speed data transmission in data centers and exchanges, optical fiber remains essential in our interconnected world.
Cable networks are imperfect in nature, but transmission of information can be compromised when things go wrong. To solve this problem, scientists at the University of Bath have developed a new type of fiber designed to improve the strength of the network. This capability may be important in the quantum network era.
The team has developed an optical fiber (flexible glass channel through which information is sent) that can protect light (the medium through which data is transmitted) using the mathematics of topology. Best of all, these modified cables are easy to measure, which means that each cable’s sequence can be preserved over thousands of kilometers.
Bath‘s study is published in the latest issue of Science Advances.
Keep the fire away from the mess
In its simplest form, an optical fiber – typically 125 µm in diameter (about the length of a human hair) – consists of a solid glass core surrounded by a sheath. Light goes through the head, where it bounces off as if it were reflecting on a mirror.
However, the path an optical fiber takes as it passes through the earth is rarely straight and uncomplicated: bends, loops and bends are the norm. A tangle in the cable can cause a message to degrade as it travels between the sender and the receiver.
“The challenge is to create a network that takes energy into account,” said physics PhD student Nathan Roberts, who led the research.
“Whenever you manufacture a fiber optic cable, there are always small differences in the physical structure of the cable. When it is placed in the network, the cable can also bend and twist. One of the ways to prevent these differences and weaknesses is to ensure that the cable design process takes great care (Optical fiber that protects the data even when twist or bent) and strength. This is where we find the topology concept useful.
To design this new cable, Bath’s team used topology, which is the mathematical study of numbers that don’t change despite continuous distortions in geometry. Its principles have already been applied to many areas of physics research. By combining physical stressors with unchanging quantities, the destructive consequences of chaotic environments can be avoided.
The cable designed by the Bath group conveys the topological concept by including several cores that conduct light in the cable, connected together in a circle. Light can jump between these cores but remains at the edges due to the topological arrangement. These node states are protected from disturbances in the structure.
Bath physicist Dr Anton Souslov, the author of the study as a thought leader, said: “Using our fiber, the fire is less affected by environmental problems than it would be in the system corresponds to one that has no topological configuration.
“By adopting fiber optics and topological design, researchers will have tools to anticipate and prevent signal degradation by building robust photonic systems.”
Theory meets practical expertise
Bath physicist Dr Peter Mosley, who co-authored the study and led the experiment, said: “In the past, scientists have applied the mathematical complexity of topology to light, but here and there University from Bath, we have a lot of experience in physical production. fiber optics, so we combine mathematics and our skills to create topological fibers.
The team, which also includes PhD student Guido Baardink and Dr. Josh Nunn from the Department of Physics, is now looking for industrial partners to expand their ideas.
“We are really interested in helping people build a strong communication network and we are ready for the next phase of this project,” said Dr Souslov.
Mr Roberts added: “We’ve shown you can make miles of topological cable wrapped around a loop. We are looking forward to a digital internet where information can be transmitted efficiently across continents using topological principles.
He pointed out that this research has implications that go beyond social networks. He said: “The development of fiber is not only a technical challenge, but also an exciting field of science in itself.
“Understanding how fiber optics is made has taken light from a bright ‘supercontinuum’ that covers all visible light to a quantum light source that produces individual photons – a part of the light.”
The future is quantum
Quantum networks are expected to play an important technological role in the coming years. Quantum technology can store and process information more powerfully than today’s “pure” computers, and send messages secretly over global networks without any possibility of eavesdropping.
But the amount of light that transmits information affects their environment easily, and finding ways to protect them is a big challenge. This work could be a step towards storing quantum information in optical fibers using topological structures.
