Scientists working at the Institute of Ultrafast Spectroscopy and Lasers (IUSL), which is part of the City College of New York (CUNY), have discovered a new way of mapping spiralling light that could allow telecommunications operators the ability to harness "untapped data channels" within fibre optic broadband ISP cables.

The IUSL scientists are devoted to promoting research and education in photonic and laser technologies. They believe that this latest breakthrough could increase the bandwidth of existing fibre optic cables, which would help to ease the internet's "ever-growing demand for audio, video and digital media".


Polarization will be familiar to most people and many of us already own something that makes direct use of it. For example, Sun Glasses sometimes come with specially coated (polarized) lenses that reduce glare, such as when you're looking at the surface of the sea on a sunny morning; without the glasses you'd be squinting.

The ability to understand how polarization can effect a specific direction and orientation of the light's movement and electric field is critical to working with lasers and photonic technology. The problem is that, until now, it hasn't been possible to map the multiple higher channels / more complex light in an optical fibre.

This complex light doesn't have "simple" peaks and troughs, like waves on an ocean, and instead moves and twists like a tornado as it travels through space. The solution to this problem is a globe-shaped Higher Order Poincare Sphere (HOPS) model.


In short the model could be used to make better use of the existing light that travels down a fibre optic cable. The act of actually turning such a model into a product of practical worth will be up to one of the many other teams around the world that are already working to boost fibre optic capacity.