Optical transceiver for secure data transmission
We disclose a multichannel optical transceiver having a first optical channel used for client-data transmission over an optical fiber and a second optical channel that enables secure transport of encryption keys over the same optical fiber. In an example embodiment, the first channel uses a first carrier wavelength at which the optical fiber supports a single guided mode. The second channel uses a second carrier wavelength at which the optical fiber supports multiple guided modes. The secure transport of encryption keys can be achieved, e.g., by scrambling the encryption-key data over multiple space-division-multiplexed optical signals transmitted by way of the multiple guided modes. The securely transported encryption keys can then be used to enable the client data transmitted using the first optical channel to be encrypted to frustrate or prevent eavesdropping along the fiber length.
1. An apparatus comprising:
an optical transmitter or receiver configured to be optically coupled to an optical fiber, and further configured to transmit or receive optical signals having a first carrier wavelength at which the optical fiber supports a single guided mode;
an optical transceiver configured to be optically coupled to the optical fiber to transmit and receive optical signals having a second carrier wavelength at which the optical fiber supports a first plurality of guided modes; and
an optical multiplexer configured to optically couple the optical transceiver and the optical transmitter or receiver to the optical fiber in a manner that enables the optical transceiver to transmit and receive different modulated optical signals having the second carrier wavelength by way of different respective guided modes of the optical fiber, and further enables the optical transmitter or receiver to transmit or receive the optical signals having the first carrier wavelength by way of the single guided mode of the optical fiber; and
wherein the optical multiplexer comprises:
a spatial-mode multiplexer having a plurality of ports and a common port, the plurality of ports being connected to the optical transceiver to transmit and receive the different modulated optical signals; and
a wavelength multiplexer having a first wavelength port, a second wavelength port, and a common port, the first wavelength port being connected to the optical transmitter or receiver, the second wavelength port being connected to the common port of the spatial-mode multiplexer, and the common port of the wavelength multiplexer being connectable to the optical fiber.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical transmitter or receiver is an optical transmitter configured to transmit the optical signals having the first carrier wavelength.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical transmitter or receiver is an optical receiver configured to receive the optical signals having the first carrier wavelength.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an additional optical transceiver configured to be optically coupled to the optical fiber through the optical multiplexer, and further configured to transmit and receive optical signals having the first carrier wavelength, wherein the additional optical transceiver includes the optical transmitter or receiver.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a third optical transceiver configured to be optically coupled to the optical fiber through the optical multiplexer, and further configured to transmit and receive optical signals having a third carrier wavelength at which the optical fiber supports a single guided mode, the third carrier wavelength being different from the first carrier wavelength.
6. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a third optical transceiver configured to be optically coupled to the optical fiber through the optical multiplexer, and further configured to transmit and receive optical signals having a third carrier wavelength at which the optical fiber supports a second plurality of guided modes, the third carrier wavelength being different from the second carrier wavelength.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the second plurality of guided modes has fewer guided modes than the first plurality of guided modes.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical transceiver comprises a key-management appliance operatively connected to cause the optical transceiver to transmit and receive encryption keys using the different modulated optical signals.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the optical transmitter or receiver comprises an encryption circuit operatively coupled to the key-management appliance to receive therefrom the encryption keys, and configured to perform at least one of the following:
cause the optical signals transmitted by the optical transmitter or receiver to carry a set of encrypted messages, each of the encrypted messages being encrypted using one or more of the encryption keys received from the key-management appliance; and
use one or more of the encryption keys received from the key-management appliance to decrypt a set of encrypted messages carried by the optical signals received by the optical transmitter or receiver.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional optical transceivers, each configured to be optically coupled to the optical fiber through the optical multiplexer, and further configured to transmit and receive optical signals having a different respective carrier wavelength at which the optical fiber supports a single guided mode; and
wherein the wavelength multiplexer has one or more additional wavelength ports connected to the common port, each of the one or more additional wavelength ports being connected to a respective one of the one or more additional optical transceivers.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the optical transceiver comprises a key-management appliance operatively connected to cause the optical transceiver to transmit and receive encryption keys using the different modulated optical signals; and
wherein each of the one or more additional optical transceivers comprises a respective encryption circuit operatively coupled to the key-management appliance to receive therefrom the encryption keys and configured to:
cause the optical signals transmitted by a corresponding one of the one or more additional optical transceivers to carry a set of encrypted messages, each of the encrypted messages being encrypted using one or more of the encryption keys received from the key-management appliance; and
use one or more of the encryption keys received from the key-management appliance to decrypt a set of encrypted messages carried by the optical signals received by the corresponding one of the one or more additional optical transceivers.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the spatial-mode multiplexer is configured to:
spatially shape optical signals applied to the plurality of ports by the optical transceiver to cause each of resulting spatially shaped optical signals to have a respective transverse electric-field distribution that substantially matches an electric-field distribution of a corresponding guided mode of the optical fiber;
generate a combined optical signal by combining the resulting spatially shaped optical signals in a manner that preserves the respective transverse electric-field distributions; and
apply the combined optical signal, by way of the common port of the spatial-mode multiplexer, to the second wavelength port of the wavelength multiplexer.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the spatial-mode multiplexer is configured to:
split into a plurality of portions an optical signal received at the common port thereof from the second wavelength port of the wavelength multiplexer;
spatially shape each of the portions to extract therefrom light received via a corresponding one of the first plurality of guided modes of the optical fiber; and
direct the light, by way of the plurality of ports, to the optical transceiver.