Super-large-effective-area (SLA) optical fiber and communication system incorporating the same
First Claim
1. An optical fiber communications system, comprising:
- at least one source of optical energy;
an optical fiber cable comprising an optical fiber having a positive dispersion and a positive dispersion slope, the optical fiber cable being coupled to said at least one source of energy, the optical fiber having a core region and a cladding region surrounding the core region, the fiber having an effective area, Aeff, that is equal to or greater than approximately 80 micrometers squared (μ
m2) at a wavelength of approximately 1310 nm and having a cable cutoff wavelength less than or equal to approximately 1310 nm, wherein the core region is segmented into at least first and second refractive index portions, the first and second refractive index portions having first and second relative indexes of refraction n1a and n1b, respectively, that are different from each other, and wherein the first and second relative indexes of refraction are positive.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A super-large-effective-area (SLA) optical fiber that is suitable for communicating over a wide wavelength range and that, because of its large effective area, suppresses nonlinear effects that typically result from interaction between signal channels. The effective area, Aeff, of the SLA fiber of the present invention preferably is equal to or greater than approximately 80 μm2 at a wavelength window around 1310 nm. The cutoff wavelength of the SLA fiber of the present invention preferably is less than 1310 nm. Thus, the SLA fiber of the present invention has a very large effective area and a very low cutoff wavelength. In accordance with the present invention, a variety of SLA fibers are provided that all have very large effective areas and desirable transmission properties. The large effective areas of the SLA fibers of the present invention enable nonlinear effects to be suppressed, as well as Stimulated Brillouin Scattering in analog transmission. The large effective areas also enable attenuation to be reduced. The result of suppressing nonlinear effects and reducing attenuation enable signals to be transmitted over long distances and over a broad bandwidth.
329 Citations
48 Claims
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1. An optical fiber communications system, comprising:
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at least one source of optical energy;
an optical fiber cable comprising an optical fiber having a positive dispersion and a positive dispersion slope, the optical fiber cable being coupled to said at least one source of energy, the optical fiber having a core region and a cladding region surrounding the core region, the fiber having an effective area, Aeff, that is equal to or greater than approximately 80 micrometers squared (μ
m2) at a wavelength of approximately 1310 nm and having a cable cutoff wavelength less than or equal to approximately 1310 nm, wherein the core region is segmented into at least first and second refractive index portions, the first and second refractive index portions having first and second relative indexes of refraction n1a and n1b, respectively, that are different from each other, and wherein the first and second relative indexes of refraction are positive. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A super-large effective area (SLA) optical fiber, the SLA fiber having a positive dispersion and a positive dispersion slope and having an effective area, Aeff, that is equal to or greater than approximately 80 μ
- m2 at a wavelength of approximately 1310 nm and having a cable cutoff wavelength less than or equal to approximately 1310 nm, the fiber having a core region and a cladding region surrounding the core region, wherein the core region is segmented into at least first and second refractive index portions, the first and second refractive index portions having first and second relative indexes of refraction n1a and n1b, respectively, that are different from each other, and wherein the first and second relative indexes of refraction are positive.
- View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A super-large effective area (SLA) optical fiber, the SLA fiber having a positive dispersion and a positive dispersion slope and having an effective area, Aeff, that is equal to or greater than approximately 90 μ
- m2 at a wavelength of approximately 1310 nm and having a cable cutoff wavelength less than or equal to approximately 1270 nm, the fiber having a core region and a cladding region surrounding the core region.
- View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A super-large effective area (SLA) optical fiber, the SLA fiber having a positive dispersion and a positive dispersion slope and having an effective area, Aeff, that is equal to or greater than approximately 90 μ
- m2 at a wavelength of approximately 1310 nm and having a cable cutoff wavelength less than or equal to approximately 1270 nm, the fiber having a core region and a cladding region surrounding the core region, the SLA fiber having a relatively low attenuation at a wavelength of approximately 1380 nm.
- View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
Specification