Abstract: A cable system and method including a cable or a microduct provided within the groove extending vertically into, but not through, a pavement. The cable has a central strength member, at least one buffer tube stranded around the central strength member, an outerjacket surrounding the buffer tube and central strength member, and at least one transmission element provided within said at least one buffer tube. Provided within the microduct is a microduct cable including at least one transmission element. A cable including a central strength member, at least one buffer tube stranded around the central strength member, an outer jacket surrounding the buffer tube and central strength member, and at least one transmission element provided within said at least one buffer tube. The cable has a longitudinal thermal expansion force due to a change in temperature from 20° C. to 70° C. of less than 305 lbs when constrained.

Abstract: An improved method for curing coatings on optical fibers, without creating additional heat and compromising the manufacturing speed of optical fibers. The method of curing a coating on an optical fiber includes the steps of passing an optical fiber through a coating die, applying a coating to the optical fiber, curing the coating on the optical fiber and exposing the optical fiber to ultrasound to facilitate curing of the coating.

Abstract: A solid-stranding method and apparatus for forming optical cables. Solid-stranding combines buffering and stranding operations, as well as performs the stranding operation while the flextubes are still hot so that they adhere together without additional binders. Optical fibers and/or wires are supplied to an extruder which forms flextubes around individual ones or groups of the optical fibers and/or wires. A central element may be supplied to, and go through, the center of the extruder. A rotating pulling device, such as a caterpillar, helically or in an SZ-manner solid-strands the flextubes around the central element—or solid-strands the flextubes to themselves when no central element is present—as the flextubes cool down. That is, solid-stranding includes buffering and stranding operations that are performed together without a water cooling stage therebetween. Thus, the flextubes adhere together, and may adhere to the central member, thereby forming a solid-stranded composite core.

Abstract: The invention relates to the field of amplifying or emitting optical fibers. It comprises an amplifying optical fiber doped with a rare earth comprising a plurality of successive segments (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), presenting a monomode core and a multimode core, presenting at the periphery of the multimode core a peripheral segment (4) of low index so as to increase the numerical aperture of the optical fiber, outer cladding (5) being situated at the periphery of the low index peripheral segment (4), the multimode core being at least in part above the outer cladding (5), the peripheral segment (2) presenting a decreasing gradient shape.

Abstract: The fiber is adapted to compensation of the chromatic dispersion and chromatic dispersion slope of an optical fiber with negative chromatic dispersion. It has, in a propagation mode other than the fundamental mode, a positive chromatic dispersion and a negative chromatic dispersion slope. The fiber can be used in compensation dispersion modules or as line fiber, in transmission systems using line fiber with negative chromatic dispersion.