Dual window WDM optical fiber communication
AssigneeLucent Technologies Inc.
InventorsArthur F. Judy, David Kalish, Raymond Bradfield Kummer, David Wayne Peckham, William Alfred Reed
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Abstract
Simultaneous dense WDM operation in both the 1310 nm and 1550 nm transparency windows of silica-based optical fiber, is enabled by a fiber design providing for nulled dispersion within a critically positioned wavelength range. Design provides for values of dispersion in both windows sufficiently low for desired per-channel bit rate, and, at the same time, sufficiently high to maintain effects of non-linear dispersion within tolerable limits for WDM operation. Fiber fabrication and system design are described.
Claims18
Article comprising at least one optical fiber suitable for use in wavelength division multiplex systems, the fiber including a core and a clad, having an attenuation at 1550 nm.ltoreq.0.25 dB/km, having a cut-off wavelength of less than 1300 nm and a dispersion slope at 1550 nm.ltoreq.0.06 ps/(nm.sup.2 -km), the fiber having an average value of chromatic dispersion at 1550 nm, as measured over a fiber length of at least 2.2 km, which is of positive sign and of magnitude in the range of 1.0-8.0 ps/nm-km,
- CHARACTERIZED IN THAT
- said fiber has a dispersion null point within the wavelength range of from 1350 nm to 1450 nm, and in that it has an average value of chromatic dispersion at 1310 nm, as measured over a fiber length of at least 2.2 km, which is of negative sign and of magnitude in the range of 1.0-8.0 ps/nm-km.
WDM optical waveguide system comprising:
- a transmission line of optical fiber, the transmission line including at least one fiber span connecting first and second terminals;
- the first terminal including a first means for generating, modulating, and multiplexing a first set of modulated WDM channel carriers of a first system wavelength, for introduction into the fiber span;
- the second terminal including a second means for performing functions including demultiplexing the first set of modulated channel carriers;
- the fiber span including optical amplifiers;
- in which at least 90% of the fiber span consists of non-zero dispersion fiber having an average value of chromatic dispersion at 1550 nm within the range of +1.0 to +8.0 ps/nm-km, and having average attenuation at 1550 nm.ltoreq.0.25 dB/km;
- in which the fiber span includes at least one optical amplifier;
- in which the first system wavelength is within a first low-attenuation window of the non-zero dispersion fiber, the first window comprising a first wavelength band including 1550 nm,
- CHARACTERIZED IN THAT
- said non-zero dispersion fiber has:
- a dispersion null point within the wavelength range of from 1350 nm to 1450 nm;
- an average value of chromatic dispersion at 1310 nm within the range of -1.0 to -8.0 ps/nm-km, and attenuation at 1310 nm.ltoreq.0.50 dB/km;
- and in that the first terminal includes third means for generating, modulating, and multiplexing a second set of modulated WDM channel carriers of a second system wavelength, for introduction into the said fiber span, and in that the second terminal includes fourth means for performing functions including demultiplexing the second set of modulated channel carriers;
- in which the second system wavelength is within a second low-attenuation window of the non-zero dispersion fiber, the second window comprising a second wavelength band including 1310 nm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.