Team backed by Microsoft develops ultra-low signal loss hollow-core optical fiber cable, boasting a record-breaking performance.

Record-Breaking Hollow-Core Fiber Achieves Unprecedented Signal Loss

A groundbreaking development in the world of optical fibers has been announced by a Microsoft-backed research team from Lumenisity. The team has built a hollow-core cable with the lowest signal loss ever recorded in any optical fiber, potentially revolutionising the industry.

Using a design known as double nested antiresonant nodeless fiber (DNANF), the team achieved an astonishing 0.091 dB/km at 1,550nm. This figure undercuts the 0.14 dB/km floor of today's best silica fibers, marking a significant improvement.

The DNANF design employs concentric glass tubes that act as tiny mirrors, bouncing the light back into the air core and suppressing higher-order modes. This innovative approach allows for attenuation under 0.1 dB/km in testing on 15km spools.

The new fiber's design also allows for a far broader operational spectrum than traditional silica fibers. Loss remains below 0.2 dB/km across a 66THz spectral band, significantly broader than the telecom windows where silica performs best.

Chromatic dispersion, where different wavelengths of light travel at different speeds through a medium, is reported to be seven times lower than it is in legacy fiber. This reduction in dispersion could lead to faster data transmission speeds and more efficient network operations.

The low levels of loss achieved could let operators "skip one in every two or three amplifier sites," resulting in significant reductions in both capital and operational expenditure. This could make the new fiber a cost-effective solution for long-haul communications.

In 2022, the company Prysmian Group acquired Lumenisity and announced plans to bring the hollow-core fiber technology from the lab into production. This move could accelerate the adoption of the new fiber technology and bring its benefits to a wider audience.

Microsoft plans to deploy 15,000 km of the new fiber across the Azure network over the next two years to support AI connectivity. This large-scale deployment could provide valuable real-world data on the performance and reliability of the new fiber in a live network environment.

Some 1,200 km of the new fiber is already actively carrying live traffic, demonstrating its readiness for practical use. The team's achievements could pave the way for a new era of optical fiber technology, offering faster, more efficient, and cost-effective solutions for long-haul communications.

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Team backed by Microsoft develops ultra-low signal loss hollow-core optical fiber cable, boasting a record-breaking performance.