High speed fiber optics for communication

Ultra high speed fiber optics for communication tend to generate much attention due to nowadays internet usage is largely maximized (probably youtube takes much of the internet bandwidth). Companies such as Google is now plan to build very high speed fibre to home:
http://www.google.com/appserve/fiberrfi/

Silica glass single mode optical fiber used for communication at the moment using wavelength 1550 nm, the reason using this wavelength is because, the optical loss at this wavelength is relatively low (lowest fiber loss appeared at the valley between the Reighley scattering and IR absorption, see previous post about basic optics knowledge at: http://ioptic.blogspot.com/2011/08/online-learning-about-optics.html, fiber attenuation: http://ioptic.blogspot.com/2011/08/cut-back-method-for-testing-fibre-loss.html) also, EDFA could amplify light signal at this wavelength.

For fabricating even lower loss optical fibres, few ways could be done, (1) find new materials to replace the silica fibre. Chalcogenide glasses could be one of the candidates. Chalcogenide glasses are transparent at near-infrared and mid-infrared, in this case, chalcogenide fibres are not limited by the IR absorption curve. (2) Guide light using hollow core fibres. (3) Multiple cores in fibre, maybe. Etc…

University of Southampton and University of Essex in the UK now start up new project ‘Photonics Hyperhighway programme’:
http://gow.epsrc.ac.uk/ViewGrant.aspx?GrantRef=EP/I01196X/1
http://www.orc.soton.ac.uk/PHH/


Figures ref:
http://www.ecse.rpi.edu/~schubert/Light-Emitting-Diodes-dot-org/chap22/chap22.htm
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/optical/15000r5_0/planning/guide/r50appc.html