Researchers, aided by Microsoft, construct a hollow-core cable, boasting the least signal loss ever seen in optical fiber technology.

Microsoft Unveils Revolutionary Hollow-Core Fiber Optic Cables for AI Connectivity

In a groundbreaking development, a Microsoft-backed research team from Lumenisity has created a new type of fiber optic cable, known as double nested antiresonant nodeless fiber (DNANF), that promises to revolutionise data transmission.

The DNANF design, which uses concentric glass tubes that are just microns thick to suppress higher-order modes and bounce the light back into the air core, has been engineered to support AI connectivity. This innovative approach routes photons mostly through air, reducing latency by nearly half and minimising nonlinear effects.

Tests on 15km spools of the new fiber have confirmed attenuation under 0.1 dB/km, a significant improvement over the ~0.14 dB/km floor of today's best silica fibers. Furthermore, the signal loss of the new fiber is 0.091 dB/km at 1,550nm, undercutting the current industry standard.

Moreover, loss remained below 0.2 dB/km across a 66THz spectral band, which is far broader than the narrow telecom windows where silica performs best. This broadband capability is crucial for handling the vast amounts of data required for AI applications.

Following a successful pilot project, Microsoft is actively carrying live traffic on some 1,200 km of the new fiber. The tech giant plans to deploy 15,000 km of the DNANF fiber across the Azure network over the next two years to further support AI connectivity.

Chromatic dispersion in the new fiber is reported to be seven times lower than it is in legacy fiber, further enhancing the speed and efficiency of data transmission. This lower dispersion, combined with the reduced latency and broadband capability, makes the DNANF fiber an ideal solution for high-speed, long-haul data transmission.

The deployment of these revolutionary fibers marks a significant step forward in Microsoft's commitment to advancing AI technologies and pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the realm of data transmission. With the ability to carry live traffic on some 1,200 km of the Microsoft network, the DNANF fiber is set to play a vital role in the future of AI connectivity.

Researchers, aided by Microsoft, construct a hollow-core cable, boasting the least signal loss ever seen in optical fiber technology.