Article Comprising Optical Fiber Having Low Polarization Mode Dispersion, and Method of Making the Fiber

The presence of (typically unintended) birefringence in single mode optical fiber can severely limit the usefulness of the fiber for, e.g., high bit rate or analog optical fiber communication systems, due to the resulting polarization mode dispersion (PMD). It has now been discovered that PMD can be...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors HUFF, RICHARD G, WALKER, KENNETH L, HART, ARTHUR C., JR
Format Patent
LanguageEnglish
French
Published 04.02.1994
Edition5
Subjects
CHEMISTRY
DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS, THE OPTICAL OPERATION OF WHICH ISMODIFIED BY CHANGING THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIUM OF THEDEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF THE INTENSITY,COLOUR, PHASE, POLARISATION OR DIRECTION OF LIGHT, e.g.SWITCHING, GATING, MODULATING OR DEMODULATING
FREQUENCY-CHANGING
GLASS
MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
METALLURGY
MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
NON-LINEAR OPTICS
OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS
OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS
OPTICS
PHYSICS
TECHNIQUES OR PROCEDURES FOR THE OPERATION THEREOF
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Summary:The presence of (typically unintended) birefringence in single mode optical fiber can severely limit the usefulness of the fiber for, e.g., high bit rate or analog optical fiber communication systems, due to the resulting polarization mode dispersion (PMD). It has now been discovered that PMD can be substantially reduced if, during drawing of the fiber (13), a torque is applied to the fiber such that a "spin" is impressed on the fiber. Desirably the torque is applied such that the spin impressed on the fiber does not have constant spatial frequency, e.g., has alternately clockwise and counterclockwise helicity. At least a portion of optical fiber according to the invention has a spin whose spatial frequency exceeds 4 spins/meter.
Bibliography:Application Number: CA19932098747