Higher order mode stripping optical fiber and modules and systems utilizing same
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorsGang Qi, William A. Wood
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A higher order mode stripping optical fiber having a core surrounded and a cladding layer surrounded by a coupling coating having a higher refractive index than the higher order mode effective index and wherein the cladding-coating interface between the cladding and the coupling coating is located at a radius <55 microns. The measured cutoff wavelength of the fiber is preferably >1500 nm. Such fibers are particularly effective at attenuating unwanted higher order modes and are useful in Dispersion Compensating modules (DCM's). Modules and systems utilizing the higher order mode stripping fiber are also described.
Claims42
An optical fiber, comprising:
- a core,
- a cladding layer,
- a coupling coating abutting the cladding layer at a cladding-coating interface, the coupling coating having a refractive index higher than the cladding layer and the cladding-coating interface is positioned at radius of less than 55 microns from a centerline of the optical fiber such that higher order mode attenuation is enhanced as compared to fundamental mode attenuation, and
- a measured cutoff wavelength (λc) of the optical fiber is greater than 1500 nm.
A dispersion compensating optical fiber, comprising:
- a core having at least a central core segment having a positive delta (Δ1) and a moat segment surrounding the central core segment having a negative delta (Δ2),
- a silica-containing cladding layer surrounding the core,
- a coupling coating abutting the cladding layer at a cladding-coating interface, the coupling coating having a refractive index higher than the silica-containing cladding layer and the cladding-coating interface is positioned such that a higher order mode attenuation loss of at least one mode selected from the group of the LP11 and LP02 modes at 1550 nm is at least 10 dB/km.
A dispersion compensating module, comprising:
- a winding spool,
- a dispersion compensating fiber wound onto the winding spool, the dispersion compensating fiber including
- a core,
- a cladding layer surrounding the core,
- a coupling coating having a refractive index higher than the cladding layer, and
- a cladding-coating interface at a point of interface between the cladding layer and the coupling coating, the cladding-coating interface being positioned at a radius of between 35 and 50 microns from a centerline of the dispersion compensating fiber.
An optical transmission system, comprising:
- a transmitter,
- a length of optical transmission fiber optically coupled to the receiver, said length being greater than 10 km,
- a dispersion compensating fiber optically coupled to the transmission fiber, said dispersion compensating fiber including
- a core,
- a cladding layer,
- a coupling coating abutting the cladding layer at a cladding-coating interface, the coupling coating having a refractive index higher than the cladding layer wherein the cladding-coating interface is positioned at radius of less than 55 microns from a centerline of the optical fiber such that higher order mode attenuation is enhanced as compared to fundamental mode attenuation, and
- a receiver optically coupled to the dispersion compensating fiber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.