Glass large-core optical fibers
First Claim
1. A fiber having a fiber diameter, the fiber comprising:
- an inner cladding region comprising a first cladding material having a first index of refraction, n1;
inner cladding features disposed in said inner cladding region, said cladding features comprising a second cladding material having a second index of refraction, n2, where n2 is less than n1;
a core region at least partially surrounded by said inner cladding features; and
one or more outer cladding regions at least partially surrounding said inner cladding features,wherein said fiber diameter, said inner cladding region, and said inner cladding features are configured to propagate a fundamental mode substantially within a region bounded by said core region, said fundamental mode having a wavelength, andwherein said fiber diameter increases confinement loss of a second order mode at said wavelength to be significantly higher than the confinement loss of the fundamental mode at said wavelength.
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Abstract
Embodiments of optical fiber may include cladding features that include a material (e.g., fluorine-doped silica glass) that may produce a very low relative refractive index difference with respect to cladding material in which the cladding features are disposed. This relative refractive index difference may be characterized by (n1−n2)/n1, where n1 is the index of refraction of the cladding material in which the cladding features are included, and n2 is the index of refraction of the cladding features. In certain embodiments, the relative refractive index difference may be less than about 4.5×10−3. In various embodiments, the configuration of the cladding features including, for example, the size and spacing of the cladding features, can be selected to provide for confinement of the fundamental mode yet leakage for the second mode and higher modes, which may provide mode filtering, single mode propagation, and/or low bend loss.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. A fiber having a fiber diameter, the fiber comprising:
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an inner cladding region comprising a first cladding material having a first index of refraction, n1; inner cladding features disposed in said inner cladding region, said cladding features comprising a second cladding material having a second index of refraction, n2, where n2 is less than n1; a core region at least partially surrounded by said inner cladding features; and one or more outer cladding regions at least partially surrounding said inner cladding features, wherein said fiber diameter, said inner cladding region, and said inner cladding features are configured to propagate a fundamental mode substantially within a region bounded by said core region, said fundamental mode having a wavelength, and wherein said fiber diameter increases confinement loss of a second order mode at said wavelength to be significantly higher than the confinement loss of the fundamental mode at said wavelength. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification