Abstract: Provided are an optical transmission line including a connected part of the optical fibers having different refractive index profiles, wherein at least one of the optical fibers has a hollow region, and a method for connecting such optical fibers, wherein connection loss in a connection of such optical fibers is reduced. In the case of connecting an optical fiber 1, which does not have a hollow region and which consists of a core region 3 and a cladding region 4, and an optical fiber 2, which consists of a hollow core region 5 and a cladding region 6 having a plurality of refractive index variation parts 7 which extend along optical fiber 2, matching oil M is first injected into the connecting end portion of the hollow core region 5 to be connected with the optical fiber 1.

Abstract: This invention relates to an optical fiber having a structure that effectively reduces transmission loss and bending loss. An optical fiber according to this invention is an optical fiber mainly comprised of silica and including a core region and a cladding region covering the core region. The core region is doped with chlorine so as to have a refractive index higher than that of pure silica. The cladding region is doped with fluorine so as to have a refractive index lower than that of pure silica. The optical fiber, in particular, is characterized in that a peak value of a relative refractive index difference of the core region with respect to a refractive index of pure silica is 0.05% or more.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an operation mode switching apparatus comprising a structure for making it possible to minimize the waste of energy caused by troubles occurring in optical fiber lines and the like in order to efficiently utilize the energy consumed in an optical transmission system aimed for a long-term operation; a Raman amplifier including the operation mode switching apparatus; and an optical transmission system including the Raman amplifier. If an optical fiber line acting as an optical transmission medium breaks in the optical transmission system, the signal power detected from the optical fiber decreases, whereby it changes to a set value or less or the amount of decrease in signal power per unit time changes by a set value or more.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical fiber having, at least, a structure for effectively restraining microbend loss from increasing. This optical fiber is an optical fiber suitable for a dispersion-flattened fiber, a dispersion-compensating fiber, and the like, and insured its single mode in a wavelength band in use. In particular, since the fiber diameter is 140 &mgr;m or more, this optical fiber has a high rigidity, so that the increase in microbend loss is effectively suppressed, whereas the probability of the optical fiber breaking due to bending stresses is practically unproblematic since the fiber diameter is 200 &mgr;m or less. Also, since this optical fiber has a larger mode field diameter, it lowers the optical energy density per unit cross-sectional area, thereby effectively restraining nonlinear optical phenomena from occurring.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical fiber which enables favorable optical communications in 1.3-&mgr;m and 1.55-&mgr;m wavelength bands, and an optical transmission system including the same. The optical fiber according to the present invention has only one zero-dispersion wavelength within a wavelength range of 1.20 &mgr;m to 1.60 &mgr;m, the zero-dispersion wavelength existing within a wavelength range of 1.37 &mgr;m to 1.50 &mgr;m, and has a positive dispersion slope at the zero-dispersion wavelength, thereby enabling favorable optical communications utilizing each signal light in the 1.3-&mgr;m and 1.55-&mgr;m wavelength bands sandwiching the zero-dispersion wavelength.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a dispersion-compensating module having a structure which compensates for the dispersion of an optical transmission line in a 1.55-&mgr;m wavelength band and adjusts loss fluctuations among signal wavelengths in the 1.55-&mgr;m wavelength band into an appropriate range. The dispersion-compensating module comprises a structure adapted to be installed in an already installed optical fiber transmission line, and has a loss slope with a polarity opposite to that of the optical fiber transmission line in the 1.55-&mgr;m wavelength band. One application of the dispersion-compensating module comprises a dispersion-compensating optical fiber as a dispersion-compensating device, and an optical fiber doped with a transition metal element as a loss-equalizing device.

Abstract: Methods for connecting two optical fibers having different mode field diameters ((MFD) with low connection loss is proposed. One method comprises steps of preparing the third fiber (Fiber 3), a short length and MFD being smaller than that of the first fiber (Fiber 1) and larger than that of the second (Fiber 2), connecting the Fiber 1 to 3, connecting Fiber 2 to 3, and increasing MFD of Fiber 3 near the part connected or to be connected to Fiber 1, or MFD of Fiber 2 near the part connected or to be connected to Fiber 3 by heating the corresponding part. The other method comprises steps of preparing a short length Fiber 3 having smaller MFD than that of Fiber 1, increasing MFD of Fiber 3 near the part to be connected to Fiber 1 by heating the corresponding part, and then connecting Fiber 1 to 3, and 3 to 2 in that order.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical transmission line comprising a structure for effectively lowering both of nonlinearity and dispersion slope, and an optical transmission system including the same. The optical transmission line comprises, as a repeating transmission line disposed between stations, a single-mode optical fiber having a zero-dispersion wavelength in a 1.3-&mgr;m wavelength band and a dispersion-compensating optical fiber for compensating for the chromatic dispersion of the single-mode optical fiber. The optical transmission line has an average dispersion slope Save of −0.0113 ps/nm2/km or more but 0.0256 ps/nm2/km or less at a wavelength of 1550 nm, and an equivalent effective area EAeff of 50 &mgr;m2 or more at the wavelength of 1550 nm, whereas the average dispersion slope Save and the equivalent effective area EAeff are designed so as to satisfy a predetermined condition such that the bending loss falls within a permissible range of 2 dB/m or more but 10 dB/m or less.

Abstract: A dispersion-managed optical fiber transmission-line with which the formation of side bands around the optical signal wavelength can be suppressed even when carrying out high-speed signal transmission. An optical fiber transmission-line 1 constitutes one repeater span installed between a transmitter (or repeater) 2 and a receiver (or repeater) 3 and is made up of N sections 41 through 4N in sequence from the transmitter 2 to the receiver 3. The chromatic dispersion at the wavelength 1.55 &mgr;m is positive in the sections 4n where the value of n is odd and is negative in the sections 4n where the value of n is even. The ratio between the maximum value and the minimum value of the average chromatic dispersions Dn of the sections 4n is at least 1.3 and not greater than 10.0.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a dispersion-shifted optical fiber which comprises a structure for effectively eliminating the causes of deterioration in characteristics at the making stage thereof and is suitable for wavelength division multiplexing transmission. In the dispersion-shifted optical fiber according to the present invention, impurities to be added and the contents thereof are adjusted so as to reduce viscosity difference at each interface between individual glass regions. As a consequence of this structure, occurrence of structural irregularity and glass defect are effectively restrained in the vicinity of the interfaces between the regions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical transmission line enabling WDM communications in a wide signal light wavelength band centered at a wavelength of 1.55 &mgr;m, in which nonlinear optical phenomena are less likely to occur; and an optical fiber constituting a part of the optical transmission line. The optical fiber has a dispersion D (unit: ps/nm/km) and a dispersion slope S (unit: ps/nm2/km) satisfying the conditions of −83≦D≦−18 and 0.0050×D≦S≦0.0025×D; and, as characteristics with respect to light having a wavelength of 1.55 &mgr;m, an effective area of 15 &mgr;m2 or more and a bending loss of 50 dB/m or less when wound at a diameter of 20 mm.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical fiber having, at least, a structure for effectively restraining microbend loss from increasing. This optical fiber is an optical fiber suitable for a dispersion-flattened fiber, a dispersion-compensating fiber, and the like, and insured its single mode in a wavelength band in use. In particular, since the fiber diameter is 140 &mgr;m or more, this optical fiber has a high rigidity, so that the increase in microbend loss is effectively suppressed, whereas the probability of the optical fiber breaking due to bending stresses is practically unproblematic since the fiber diameter is 200 &mgr;m or less. Also, since this optical fiber has a larger mode field diameter, it lowers the optical energy density per unit cross-sectional area, thereby effectively restraining nonlinear optical phenomena from occurring.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical fiber which enables favorable optical communications in 1.3-&mgr;m and 1.55-&mgr;m wavelength bands, and an optical transmission system including the same. The optical fiber according to the present invention has only one zero-dispersion wavelength within a wavelength range of 1.20 &mgr;m to 1.60 &mgr;m, the zero-dispersion wavelength existing within a wavelength range of 1.37 &mgr;m to 1.50 &mgr;m, and has a positive dispersion slope at the zero-dispersion wavelength, thereby enabling favorable optical communications utilizing each signal light in the 1.3-&mgr;m and 1.55-&mgr;m wavelength bands sandwiching the zero-dispersion wavelength.

Abstract: This invention relates to an optical fiber having a structure that effectively reduces transmission loss and bending loss. An optical fiber according to this invention is an optical fiber mainly comprised of silica and including a core region and a cladding region covering the core region. The core region is doped with chlorine so as to have a refractive index higher than that of pure silica. The cladding region is doped with fluorine so as to have a refractive index lower than that of pure silica. The optical fiber, in particular, is characterized in that a peak value of a relative refractive index difference of the core region with respect to a refractive index of pure silica is 0.05% or more.

Abstract: In an optical fiber having a core region and a cladding region which surrounds the core region, wherein a plurality of regions made of sub mediums having refractive index different from that of the main medium constituting the cladding region are spaced apart in cross section of the cladding region and the mean refractive index of the core region is lower than that of the cladding region, the sub-medium regions are regularly arranged in the radial direction of said optical fiber such that the light having given wavelength, propagation coefficient and electric field distribution propagates along the fiber axis and has not less than 50% of a total propagating power in the core region, and this arrangement does not have translational symmetry in cross section.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a dispersion-shifted fiber which can effectively restrain nonlinear optical effects from occurring and has a configuration suitable for long-haul light transmission. The dispersion-shifted fiber has, as various characteristics at a wavelength of 1,550 nm, a dispersion level of 1.0 to 4.5 ps/nm/km in terms of absolute value, a dispersion slope not greater than 0.13 ps/nm2/km in terms of absolute value, an effective core cross-sectional area not less than 70 &mgr;m2, and a transmission loss not greater than 0.25 dB/km with respect to light in a 1.55-&mgr;m wavelength band.

Abstract: In an optical fiber including a core region and cladding regions of not less than three layers which surround the core region in order, at least one of the cladding regions has lower mean refractive index than both adjacent regions, and at least one cladding region is provided with a plurality of sub medium regions each having a refractive index lower than a main medium constituting this cladding region.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical filter comprising a simple structure which easily realizes slope control of loss spectrum in a signal wavelength band as a gain equalizer. The optical filter comprises a first Mach-Zehnder interferometer constituted by a first part of a main optical line, a first auxiliary optical line, and first and second optical couplers which optically couple the main optical line and first auxiliary optical line to each other. The optical filter further comprises a second Mach-Zehnder interferometer constituted by a second part of the main optical line, a second auxiliary optical line, and third and fourth optical couplers which optically couple the main optical line and second auxiliary optical line to each other.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical attenuator or the like which is easy to manufacture and is able to be miniaturized. In an optical attenuator according to this invention, a plurality of Mach-Zehnder-type waveguide elements are arranged in parallel on the common substrate. Each Mach-Zehnder-type waveguide element is provided with an input optical waveguide, a first directional coupler, two optical waveguides, a second directional coupler, an output optical waveguide, a monitoring optical waveguide and a temperature regulator for regulating the temperature of one of the two optical waveguides. Particularly, between the Mach-Zehnder-type waveguide elements adjacent to each other, an monitoring optical waveguide of one thereof and an output optical waveguide of the other thereof are arranged to cross.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a chromatic dispersion compensating module which realizes signal transmission at a high bit rate by its simple constitution, and an optical transmission system comprising the same. The chromatic dispersion compensating module according to the present invention comprises a chromatic dispersion compensator which compensates for the chromatic dispersion of an optical fiber transmission line at a predetermined wavelength, and a temperature controller which controls the temperature of the chromatic dispersion compensator in such a manner to set the chromatic dispersion of the chromatic dispersion compensator at a desired value. By this constitution, the dispersion compensation control in correspondence with the chromatic dispersion fluctuation in the optical fiber transmission line caused by the temperature fluctuation and the like is made possible.