Bending insensitive single-mode optical fiber

Abstract

In one aspect of the invention, the bend insensitive single-mode optical fiber includes a core layer and cladding layers having an inner cladding layer, a trench cladding layer and an outer cladding layer sequentially formed surrounding the core layer from inside to outside. For the core layer, the diameter is 7-7.9 μm, and the relative refractive index difference Δ₁ is between 4.6×10⁻³ and 6.0×10⁻³. For the inner cladding layer, the diameter is 15-17 μm, and a relative refractive index difference Δ₂ is between −3×10⁻⁴ and 3×10⁻⁴. For the trench cladding layer, the diameter is 24-33 μm, and the relative refractive index difference Δ₃ is between −2.9×10⁻³ and −7.3×10⁻³, changes in a gradient manner and increases gradually from outside to inside, where a relative refractive index difference Δ₃₂ at an outermost interface is smaller than a relative refractive index difference Δ₃₁ at an innermost interface.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation application of International Patent Application No. PCT / CN2012 / 086975, filed Dec. 20, 2012, which itself claims the priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201210006783.5, filed Jan. 10, 2012 in the State Intellectual Property Office of P.R. China, which are hereby incorporated herein in their entireties by reference.[0002]Some references, if any, which may include patents, patent applications and various publications, may be cited and discussed in the description of this invention. The citation and / or discussion of such references, if any, is provided merely to clarify the description of the present invention and is not an admission that any such reference is “prior art” to the invention described herein. All references listed, cited and / or discussed in this specification are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties and to the same extent as if each reference was individually incorporated...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0030]The beneficial effects of the present invention lie in that: (1). By optimizing an optical fiber cross-section, the optical fiber not only has a low bending induced loss, but also has stable mechanical performance and a homogeneous material formation. (2). By optimizing the structure of an optical fiber cross-section, on the basis of keeping an effective mode field diameter and bending performance, the ratios of the core layer and the trench cladding layer in the optical fiber cross-section are reduced, so that the deposition processing amount in the most crucial, precise, and complex part in the fabrication of an optical fiber preform rod is also directly reduced, thereby lowering the con

Problems solved by technology

An existing conventional low water peak optical fiber (meeting ITU-T G.652C/D) generally has a bend radius of 30 mm, resulting in severe limitations on cabling indoors and in narrow environments.

Compared with a long distance transmission application, optical fibers indoors and in narrow environments are subject to high bending stresses.

Especially, in use, optical fibers are often wound in storage boxes that become increasingly small, resulting in even higher bending stresses.

Nowadays, the application of the G.657 optical fiber is mainly limited by high optical fiber cost, better bending performance, and the contradiction in its compatibility with the G.652 optical fiber.

However, when a mode field diameter of an optical fiber is too small, a large connection loss occurs in its connection with a conventional single-mode optical fiber, and the incident optical power is limited.

Therefore, the space for the cut-off wavelength of the optical fiber to increase is very limited.

However, the optimized design of a depressed inner cladding layer can only improve the macro-bending performance of an optical fiber at a large bend radius to a certain extent.

When the bend radius of an optical fiber is smaller than or equal to 10 mm, it is very difficult to adopt the method of a depressed inner cladding layer to prepare a bend insensitive optical fiber that meets the G.657.A2 standard.

However, all the above patents only consider how to lower a bending induced loss and none considers a long service life of the optical fiber at a small bend radius in combination with specific applications, and also none explicitly illustrates whether an optical fiber fabricated according to the specification thereof meets or goes beyond the relevant requirement of a minimum bend radius of 5 mm in the G.657.B3 standard.

It is found through the research on an optical fiber having the structure of a trench cladding layer that certain requirements and limitations also exist about the depth and width of a trench cladding layer in the cross-section of an optical fiber: if the trench cladding layer is too shallow or too narrow, the desirable bend insensitive performance is not achieved; and if too deep or too wide, the cut-off wavelength a

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