Abstract: Disclosed is a single mode optical waveguide fiber designed for use in high performance telecommunication systems. The novel core profile design improves bending performance to provide enhanced resistance to adverse environments. Total dispersion over an extended wavelength window is maintained low by placing the zero dispersion wavelength above the upper limit of the operating window. In addition, cut off wavelength is increased to just below the operating window. Ease of manufacture is retained as is very low waveguide attenuation.

Abstract: A burner manifold apparatus (10) for delivering reactants to a combustion site of a chemical vapor deposition process includes fluid inlets (32a, 32b), fluid outlets (49), and a plurality of fluid passages (50) extending therebetween. The fluid passages (50) converge toward each other from the fluid inlets to the fluid outlets. One embodiment includes a manifold base (12), a pressure plate (14), and a manifold burner mount (16) for mounting thereto a micromachined burner (58). The fluid passages (50) internal to the manifold base are configured to distribute symmetrically the fluid to the manifold burner mount. The fluid is then channeled through fluid passages in the manifold burner mount. The fluid passages converge, yet remain fluidly isolated from each other, and the fluid passages create a linear array for producing linear streams of fluid. Alternatively, the burner manifold apparatus may include a plurality of manifold elements in a stacked arrangement.

Abstract: Disclosed is a dispersion compensating optical fiber that includes a refractive index profile selected to provide dispersion at 1550 nm of between −90 and −150 ps/nm/km; dispersion slope at 1550 nm of less than −1.5 ps/nm2/km; and kappa of between 40 and 95. The profile preferably has a core surrounded by a cladding layer of refractive index &Dgr;c, and at least three radially adjacent regions including a central core region having &Dgr;1, a moat region having a refractive index &Dgr;2, and an annular ring region having a refractive index &Dgr;3, wherein &Dgr;1>&Dgr;3>&Dgr;c>&Dgr;2.

Abstract: A multimode optical fiber having a first laser bandwidth greater than 220 MHz.km in the 850 nm window, a second laser bandwidth greater than 500 MHz.km in the 1300 nm window, a first OFL bandwidth of at least 160 MHz.km in the 850 nm window, and a second OFL bandwidth of at least 500 MHz.km in the 1300 nm window is disclosed. The multimode fiber is capable of operating in telecommunication systems employing both LED power sources and high power laser sources. Methods of making and testing the multimode optical fiber are also disclosed.

Abstract: An optical waveguide amplifier fiber comprises a core region at least in part comprises Er2O3, Al2O3, GeO2 and Ga2O3. The amplifier fiber also comprises an inner clad surrounding the core region, and an outer clad surrounding the inner clad. The relative refractive index percentages and radii of the core region, inner clad and outer clad are chosen from the following ranges: the relative refractive index percent of the core segment within the range of from about 0.5% to about 1.2%; the relative refractive index percent of the inner clad within the range of from about 0.0% to about 0.3%; the outer radius of the core region within the range of from about 2.0 &mgr;m to about 5.0 &mgr;m; and, the outer radius of the inner clad within the range of from about 3.8 &mgr;m to about 10.2 &mgr;m.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods of producing soot used in the manufacture of optical waveguides. Both non-aqueous liquid reactants and aqueous solutions containing one or more salts are delivered through an atomizing burner assembly to form a homogenous soot stream containing the oxides of the selected elements contained within the non-aqueous liquid reactant and the aqueous solution. The resulting multi-component soot is collected by conventional methods to form preforms used in the manufacture of optical waveguide fibers. Preforms formed by the methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a single mode optical waveguide having a segmented core of at least two segments. The relative refractive index, the index profile and the radial dimensions of the core segments are selected to provide an optical waveguide fiber having properties suitable for a high performance telecommunication system operating in the wavelength window of about 1530 nm to 1570 nm. Embodiments of the invention having two, three and four segments are described.

Abstract: A multimode optical fiber having a first laser bandwidth greater than 220 MHz.km in the 850 nm window, a second laser bandwidth greater than 500 MHz.km in the 1300 nm window, a first OFL bandwidth of at least 160 MHz.km in the 850 nm window, and a second OFL bandwidth of at least 500 MHz.km in the 1300 nm window is disclosed. The multimode fiber is capable of operating in telecommunication systems employing both LED power sources and high power laser sources. Methods of making and testing the multimode optical fiber are also disclosed.

Abstract: An optical fiber and method of making, wherein the optical fiber alternates between regions having different diameters along its length, wherein the refractive index of said blank and the diameters of said fiber are chosen to result in a fiber having alternating regions of positive and negative dispersion at a wavelength which is greater than 1480 nm, yet preferably has a low net dispersion and dispersion slope. A preferred such profile consists of a core region surrounded by a cladding region, said core region comprised of an central core region which is updoped with respect to said cladding region, said central core region surrounded by a moat region which is downdoped with respect to said cladding region, and said moat region is surrounded by an annular ring region which is updoped with respect to said cladding region. In addition, a family of profiles is presented which may be used to produce very low dispersion slope fibers.

Abstract: Disclosed is a dispersion compensating optical fiber that includes a core surrounded by a cladding layer of refractive index nCL. The core includes at least three radially adjacent regions, a central core region, a moat region having a refractive index nM that is sufficiently lower than nCL such that &Dgr;M≦−0.4%, and a ring region. As the ring region exhibits sufficiently high refractive index at a sufficiently long distance from the outer edge of the moat region, the fiber can exhibit low values of negative dispersion slope at low values of negative dispersion and yet exhibit good bending loss. This ring region is also capable of imparting to the fiber a relatively high cutoff wavelength, so that the present invention is particularly well suited for use in L-band systems. A particularly suitable fiber has an index profile in which that part of the ring region at the transition between the moat and the ring region has a refractive index such that its delta value is close to zero.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a process for purifying siloxane. The invention relates to a method of making a purified siloxane feedstock for use in the manufacturing of silica glass. The invention further relates to solid phase extracting impurities from a polyalkylsiloxane starting material.

Abstract: A glass preform is drawn into a fiber. Holes, running the length of the preform, collapse during the drawing, causing the core to have an elliptical cross section.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for making fused silica glass. A liquid, preferably halide-free, silicon-containing compound capable of being converted by thermal oxidative decomposition to SiO2 is provided and introduced directly into the flame of a combustion burner, thereby forming finely divided amorphous soot. The amorphous soot is deposited on a receptor surface where, either substantially simultaneously with or subsequently to its deposition, the soot is consolidated into a body of fused silica glass. The invention further relates to an apparatus for forming fused silica from liquid, preferably halide-free, silicon-containing reactants which includes: a combustion burner which, in operation, generates a flame; an injector for supplying a liquid silicon-containing compound to the flame to convert the compound by thermal oxidative decomposition to a finely divided amorphous soot; and a receptor surface on which the soot is deposited.

Abstract: A single mode optical waveguide fiber designed for high data rate, or WDM systems or systems incorporating optical amplifiers. The optical waveguide has a compound core having a central region and at least one annular region surrounding the central region. A distinguishing feature of the waveguide core is that the minimum refractive index of the central core region is less than the minimum index of the adjacent annular region. A relatively simple profile design has the characteristics of ease in manufacturing together with flexibility in tailoring Dw to yield a preselected zero dispersion wavelength, dispersion magnitude over a target wavelength range, and dispersion slope. The simplicity of profile gives reduced polarization mode dispersion.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of protecting glass optical fiber preforms and glass precursor elements for making optical fiber preforms, wherein the preform or glass precursor element is stored within a protective bag. The protective bag preferably has anti-static agents incorporated therein. The protective bags can be employed to protect any glass precursor element used in making optical fiber preforms, for example, glass core canes, glass tubes, or the optical fiber preforms themselves.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a glass article for use as an optical waveguide fiber and more particularly to an optical waveguide fiber, the core of which is doped with a chalcogenide element to significantly increase the refractive index of the core. The subject of this invention is novel doped silica core compositions wherein a portion of the oxygen in the silica is replaced with either sulfur, selenium or tellurium using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). These compositions are designed to have higher refractive indices than silica, low coefficients of expansion, high optical transparency, and appropriate viscosity and softening points to make them ideal candidates for use as optical waveguide fibers.

Abstract: An improved telecommunications link is provided which includes a dispersion managed fiber with smoothly varying dispersion. The dispersion map may vary sinusoidally or as a sawtooth, for example. The smoothly varying dispersion works well for high data rate transmissions in a return to zero signal format. The dispersion managed fiber with smoothly varying dispersion may be formed by a wide variety of techniques. A method of forming dispersion managed fiber by localized heating or cooling is also provided.

Abstract: A single mode optical waveguide fiber having a segmented core designed to provide a large effective area for light transmission. The large effective area reduces waveguide fiber non-linearities. The inventive waveguide is thus suited for transmission of high power signals over long distances. Embodiments of the inventive single mode waveguide including five core segments are given. The large effective area is achieved with essentially no degradation in optical or mechanical performance of the waveguide.

Abstract: A cylindrical glass body having a low water content centerline region and method of manufacturing such a cylindrical glass body for use in the manufacture of optical waveguide fiber is disclosed. The centerline region of the cylindrical glass body has a water content sufficiently low such that an optical waveguide fiber made from the cylindrical glass body of the present invention exhibits an optical attenuation of less than about 0.35 dB/km, and preferably less than about 0.31 dB/km at a measured wavelength of 1380 nm. A low water content plug used in the manufacture of such a cylindrical glass body, an optical waveguide fiber having a low water peak, and an optical fiber communication system incorporating such an optical waveguide fiber is also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a dispersion compensating optical fiber that includes a core surrounded by a cladding layer of refractive index &Dgr;c. The core includes at least three radially adjacent regions, a central core region having &Dgr;1, a moat region having a refractive index &Dgr;2 and an annular ring region having a refractive index &Dgr;3, such that &Dgr;1>&Dgr;3>&Dgr;c>&Dgr;2. The fiber exhibits a dispersion slope which is less than −1.0 ps/nm2/km over the wavelength range 1525 to 1565, a dispersion at 1550 which is less than −30 ps/mn/km, and a &kgr; value obtained by dividing the dispersion value by the dispersion slope which is greater than 35 and preferably between 40 and 100.