A few-mode fiber is described, having a graded-index core and a surrounding cladding comprising a ledge between the core and the trench, a down-doped trench abutting the ledge, and an undoped cladding region abutting the trench. The fiber's refractive index profile is configured to support 9 LP modes for transmission of a spatially-multiplexed optical signal and has optimized maximum differential group delay (MDGD) through a wide range of wavelengths.