Wideband, multi-core dispersion compensation fiber
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorsJames A. West, William A. Wood
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a multiple core optical waveguide fiber having a negative total dispersion and negative total dispersion slope tailored to compensate the total dispersion of a typical high performance transmission fiber over a selected wavelength range. Also disclosed is a method of making the multiple core optical waveguide fiber and a compensated link using the multiple core fiber. The simplicity of the refractive index profiles of the constituent cores provides ease of manufacture of the multiple core structure.
Claims22
A multiple core, dispersion compensating optical waveguide fiber comprising:
- a center region surrounded by a clad layer;
- wherein,
- said center region comprises at least two optical waveguide fiber cores having respective refractive index profiles, the respective refractive index profiles of the at least two optical waveguide fiber cores being different from each other, wherein light couples between the at least two optical waveguide fiber cores;
- the at least two optical waveguide fiber cores of said multiple core optical wave guide fiber being selected to provide a total dispersion slope and a total dispersion that are negative over a pre-selected wavelength range.
A method of making a multiple core optical waveguide fiber comprising the steps:
- a) fabricating a plurality of core or spacing element preforms, said core or spacing element preforms having a refractive index profile, at least two of the core preforms having respective refractive index profiles that are different from each other;
- b) bundling the plurality of core or spacing element preforms to form a multiple core preform structure;
- c) surrounding the bundled core preforms with a clad layer to form a draw preform;
- and,
- d) drawing the draw preform into a multiple core optical waveguide fiber;
- wherein,
- the multiple core preform structure is configured to provide a multiple core optical waveguide fiber wherein light propagated within the multiple core optical waveguide fiber is coupled between at least two of the cores, said multiple core waveguide fiber having a total dispersion and a total dispersion slope which are negative over a pre-selected wavelength range.
A dispersion compensated optical waveguide fiber link comprising:
- at least a first and a second length of optical waveguide fiber;
- the first length of optical waveguide fiber having a total dispersion and total dispersion slope that are positive over a pre-selected wavelength range, said first length of optical waveguide fiber characterized by a first end to end dispersion;
- and, optically coupled to said first optical waveguide fiber,
- the second length of optical waveguide fiber having a total dispersion and total dispersion slope that are negative over the pre-selected wavelength range, said second length of optical waveguide fiber characterized by a second end to end dispersion;
- wherein,
- said second length of optical waveguide fiber is a multiple core fiber configured to couple light propagating within the multiple core fiber between at least two of the cores;
- wherein, the first and second lengths of optical waveguide fiber and the respective total dispersions and total dispersion slopes are selected to provide a sum of the first and second end to end dispersions that is less than a pre-selected value over the pre-selected wavelength range.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.