Alignment-Tolerant Optical Fi-Wi-Fi Bridge Assisted by a Focal Plane Array Beamformer as Air Interface

Terrestrial free-space optical (FSO) links are an ideal candidate to extend the bandwidth continuum offered by fiber networks, yet at the expense of unfavorable cost credentials due to highly complex opto-mechanical setups. As a response to this challenge, we present a simple fiber-based focal plane array (FPA) architecture which contributes beamforming functionality to an FSO link that bridges the gap between two single-mode fiber ports. Through use of space-switched and wavelength-routed beamforming networks, which together with a photonic lantern provide a compact arrangement of up to 61 fine-pitched optical antenna elements on a fiber tip, we experimentally demonstrate that our FPA can assist the channel optimization of an FSO link after rough initial beam pointing. We show that favorable coupling conditions can be accomplished between two standard single-mode fibers, which enables us to successfully retain the fiber continuum by achieving error-free 10 Gb/s/λ data transmission in a space-switched out-door fiber-wireless-fiber scenario.