Dispersion-compensating fiber having a high figure of merit
This invention relates generally to improvements to optical fiber, and more particularly to the design of a dispersion-compensating fiber. Disclosed is a dispersion-compensating (DC) optical fiber that is designed to support only the fundamental mode of radiation at 1550 nm. The DC fiber is fabricat...
Saved in:
| Main Authors | , |
|---|---|
| Format | Patent |
| Language | English |
| Published |
03.12.2002
|
| Online Access | Get full text |
Cover
Loading…
| Summary: | This invention relates generally to improvements to optical fiber, and more particularly to the design of a dispersion-compensating fiber.
Disclosed is a dispersion-compensating (DC) optical fiber that is designed to support only the fundamental mode of radiation at 1550 nm. The DC fiber is fabricated from silica glass and has a refractive index profile that includes a core region surrounded by a cladding region having a nominal refractive index n. The core region includes a central core 511 having a nominal refractive index n, a "trench" 512 surrounding the central core having a nominal refractive index n, and a "ridge" 513 surrounding the trench having a nominal refractive index n. A range of refractive index profiles has been found that provides figures of merit that are greater than 300 ps/(nm·dB) and relative dispersion slopes that are greater than 0.01 nm. The range is conveniently expressed in terms of index differences and radial dimensions:central core: radius=1.5±0.5 m, and 0.015<n−n<0.035;trench: width=3.5±1.0 m, and −0.012<n−n<−0.006; andridge: width=2.0±1.0 m; and 0.002<n−n<0.015. |
|---|