Optical fiber

Abstract

The present invention relates to an optical fiber having a structure to enable both prevention of resin coating combustion due to leaked light, and low-loss light transmission. The optical fiber comprises a core region, and a cladding region. The cladding region is constituted by an optical cladding which affects the transmission characteristics of light propagating in the core region, and a physical cladding which does not affect the transmission characteristics of light propagating in the core region. Particularly, a leakage reduction portion is provided in the physical cladding so as to surround an outer periphery of the core region through the optical cladding. The leakage reduction portion functions to suppress propagation of the leaked light propagating from the core region toward outside the cladding region.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to an optical fiber which is suitable as a transmission medium for optical communication, and in particular relates to an optical fiber having excellent high-power endurance.[0003]2. Related Background of the Invention[0004]At present, optical fiber communication networks are being expanded from trunk lines to ordinary homes, and are gaining wide recognition as FTTH (Fiber To The Home) services. Nearly all the optical fibers employed in such communication networks are silica-based fibers; by adding a refractive index increaser such as for example GeO2 to the core region, full-reflection optical waveguide structures having a refractive index difference with the cladding are obtained.[0005]For example, in Document 1: Proceedings of 2008 IEICE General Conference, B-10-24, p. 306 (Mar. 18 to 21, 2008), it is noted that when small-radius bending is applied to an optical fiber in a state in which...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012]In general, in order to realize long-haul optical transmission using an optical fiber as the transmission medium, clearly an optical fiber with lower propagation loss is desirable. When using wavelength-multiplexed transmission as means to achieve large-capacity transmission, signal light at a larger number of wavelengths must be injected into the optical fiber to achieve greater transmission capacity. In addition, when raising the modulation rate or increasing the modulation level as means to achieve large-capacity transmission, in order to maintain an error rate comparable to that of conventional optical transmission, the optical SN ratio must be improved. In particular, the optical power input to the optical fiber must be increased. In any of these cases, the total optical power propagating in the optical fiber must be increased, so that together with prevention of the occurrence of coating combustion and similar during high-power propagation, the achievement of lower propagation losses is also desired.

[0013]The present invention has been developed to eliminate the problems described above. It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical fiber comprising a structure to achieve both prevention of resin coating combustion arising from light leaking from the light-guiding region, and low propagation losses.

[0015]As described above, in the optical fiber according to the present invention, the leakage reduction portion is provided within the physical cladding which does not affect the transmission characteristics of light propagating within the core region. Hence, in the state in which the optical fiber is not being bent, the existence of the leakage reduction portion does not affect transmission characteristics of light propagating within the core region. On the other hand, when the optical fiber is bent to a small radius of curvature, a portion of the light propagating within the core region propagates from the core region positions at the bent portion toward the outside of the optical fiber as leaked light. Under these circumstances, the leakage reduction portion provided in the physical cladding functions so as to reduce the light quantity of leaked light propagating from the core region toward the outside of the optical fiber. As a result, both prevention of combustion of the resin coating due to the leaked light (reduction of the leaked light arriving at the optical fiber resin coating) and low-loss optical transmission, which has been difficult to achieve in the prior art described above, become possible.

[0017]In the optical fiber according to the present invention, in a state that the optical fiber is bent at a predetermined radius, the leakage reduction portion reduces the ratio of the light quantity of leaked light, passing through the leakage reduction portion, to the light quantity of leaked light arriving from the bent portion of the core region to 1 / 10 or less. This reduction in light quantity of the leaked light in the leakage reduction portion is achieved by causing deflection of the leaked light, or by absorption of a portion of the leaked light.

[0018]Deflection control for the leaked light can for example be achieved by (1) means to confine the leaked light arriving from the core region within the inside region positioned on the core region side of the leakage reduction portion; (2) means to cause propagation of the leaked light which has arrived from the core region within the leakage reduction portion; and, (3) means to increase scattering of the leaked light which has arrived from the core region.

[0019]In particular, deflection control through confinement of the leaked light can be achieved by providing holes or trenches in the leakage reduction portion, extending along the core region. That is, the existence of these holes or trenches effectively blocks the leaked light arriving from the core region. Also, deflection control by propagation of the leaked light can be achieved by setting the refractive index of the leakage reduction portion to be higher than the refractive indices of those of the optical cladding positioned on the inside of the leakage reduction portion, and the physical cladding from which the leakage reduction portion is excluded. That is, by setting the refractive index high, the leakage reduction portion itself functions as an optical waveguide region. Further, deflection control by increasing scattering of the leaked light can be achieved by adding a minute anisotropic member into the leakage reduction portion. That is, the existence of such a minute anisotropic member causes disordering of the traveling direction of the leaked light arriving from the core region.

Problems solved by technology

For example, when bending with a small radius of curvature (hereinafter referred to as “small-radius bending”) is applied to an optical fiber during high-power light propagation, light leaking from the core region (light propagating toward a side face of the optical fiber arising from small-radius bending) reaches the resin coating, with the possibility that combustion of the resin coating might be caused.

However, in all such trench fibers and hole-assisted fibers, propagation losses are larger than in standard SMFs, and in the prior art it has not been possible to achieve both prevention of resin coating combustion, and low propagation losses.

On the other hand, the steep refractive index reduced portion itself in proximity to the core region, or the interface at which the steep reduction in refractive index occurs, becomes a cause of large propagation losses relative to the core region or similar, so that propagation losses in trench fibers and hole-assisted fibers are larger than in standard SMFs not having refractive index reduced portions formed by trenches or holes.

This inability to achieve both prevention of resin coating combustion and low-loss light transmission may become a major obstacle to the future realization of long-haul, large-capacity transmission.

Images