172 Tb/s C+L Band Transmission over 2040 km Strongly Coupled 3-Core Fiber

Coupled-core multi-core fiber transmission is demonstrated across 359 C- and L-band channels with low spatial-mode-dispersion. A net-data-rate of 172 Tb/s over 2040 km is achieved, doubling the record data-rate-distance-product for standard cladding diameter SDM fibers.