Abstract: A method for aligning multicore fiberS that has three or more cores disposed on a circumference centered on a central axis of a clad includes: capturing a first set of images of side surfaces of each of the pair of multicore fibers before and after rotating each of the pair of multicore fibers by P° a number of times (N) rounded up so that N=360/P; determining, for each of the pair of multicore fibers, a similarity between an image of the first set of images before a rotation by P° and an image of the first set of images after the rotation by P° for each of the N times the multicore fiber is rotated by P°; determining specific relative rotation positions of the pair of multicore fibers in which a cross-correlation becomes highest; and rotating at least one of the pair of multicore fibers.

Abstract: An optical fiber preform includes: a cladding glass body that is a cladding of an optical fiber, is cylindrical, and comprises an inner hole along an axial direction; a glass rod accommodated in the inner hole; and a dummy silica rod selected from either one of a first solid dummy silica rod fixed to a first end of the cladding glass body that closes a first end of the inner hole positioned at the first end of the cladding glass body, or a second solid dummy silica rod accommodated and integrated in a connecting glass tube fixed to the first end to close a first tip opening end of the connecting glass tube. A tip seal that closes a second end of the inner hole at a second end of the cladding glass body is provided in the second end of the cladding glass body.

Abstract: An optical fiber preform production method includes: inserting at least one glass rod into at least one through-hole that penetrates a cladding glass body that is a cladding of an optical fiber; integrating a dummy rod by either integrating a solid dummy silica rod with a first end of the cladding glass body by heating the first end to close a first opening of the through-hole that opens in the first end, or forming a base end seal that closes the first opening in the first end and integrating the solid dummy silica rod with the base end; and closing a second opening of the through-hole that opens in a second end of the cladding glass body by heating and deforming the second end.

Abstract: A multi-core optical fiber preform includes: a rod-shaped main cladding body having one or more main inner holes; main core rods inserted into the one or more main inner holes; and a tip continuously-installed portion disposed at one end of the rod-shaped main cladding body and including a glass rod having no core rod or having one core rod.

Abstract: A multicore fiber includes: a cladding; a center core at a center of the cladding; and seven or more outer cores disposed at rotationally asymmetric positions on a circumference centered at the center of the cladding. Angles formed by adjacent ones of lines connecting the center core and respective ones of the outer cores are all 60° or less.

Abstract: A multicore fiber includes: a cladding; and three or more and five or less cores disposed at rotationally asymmetric positions on a circumference centered at a center of the cladding. No core is disposed at the center of the cladding. Angles formed by adjacent ones of lines connecting the center of the cladding and respective ones of the cores are all larger than 60°.

Abstract: A method for aligning multicore fiberS that has three or more cores disposed on a circumference centered on a central axis of a clad includes: capturing a first set of images of side surfaces of each of the pair of multicore fibers before and after rotating each of the pair of multicore fibers by P° a number of times (N) rounded up so that N=360/P; determining, for each of the pair of multicore fibers, a similarity between an image of the first set of images before a rotation by P° and an image of the first set of images after the rotation by P° for each of the N times the multicore fiber is rotated by P°; determining specific relative rotation positions of the pair of multicore fibers in which a cross-correlation becomes highest; and rotating at least one of the pair of multicore fibers.

Abstract: An optical fiber preform production method includes: inserting at least one glass rod into at least one through-hole that penetrates a cladding glass body that is a cladding of an optical fiber; integrating a dummy rod by either integrating a solid dummy silica rod with a first end of the cladding glass body by heating the first end to close a first opening of the through-hole that opens in the first end, or forming a base end seal that closes the first opening in the first end and integrating the solid dummy silica rod with the base end; and closing a second opening of the through-hole that opens in a second end of the cladding glass body by heating and deforming the second end.

Abstract: An optical fiber drawing furnace heating element includes a heat generator including: a tubular resistance heating element in which at least a part of an optical fiber preform is disposed in a through-hole; a first portion extending, from a first end portion, over a predetermined section along a longitudinal direction; and a second portion disposed closer to a second end portion than the first portion. The second portion has a wall thickness on a side of the first end portion being equal to or larger than a wall thickness of the first portion. The wall thickness of the second portion increases toward a side of the second end portion from the side of the first end portion.

Abstract: A multicore fiber includes: a first core having a first propagation loss of a first light beam in a mode one order higher than a mode of a second light beam that transmits information. The first propagation loss is 0.02 dB/m or more and 1 dB/m or less, in a wavelength band of light beams including the second light beam that transmit the information when a bend having a diameter of 280 mm is applied to the multicore fiber.

Abstract: A multicore fiber for communication 10 which allows propagation of an optical signal includes: a clad 12; a core 11a which is arranged in a center of the clad 12; and seven to ten cores 11b which are arranged at equal intervals surrounding the core 11a, and the cladding diameter is 230 ?m, distances between centers of the mutually neighboring cores 11a and 11b are 30 ?m or more, distances between the centers of the cores 11b and an outer peripheral surface of the clad 12 are 35 ?m or more and a mode field diameter of light propagating in the cores 11a and 11b is 9 ?m to 13 ?m.

Abstract: An optical fiber that communicates in a predetermined communication band includes: a signal light propagation core that propagates light beams of up to (x+1)-th order LP mode, where x is an integer of two or more; and a coupler that propagates a light beam that is: coupled with a light beam of the (x+1)-th order LP mode propagating through the signal light propagation core, and suppressed from being coupled with light beams of up to the x-th order LP mode propagating through the signal light propagation core, wherein, mode coupling of the light beams of up to the x-th order LP mode propagating through the signal light propagation core is performed, and mode coupling between the light beam of the x-th order LP mode and the light beam of (x+1)-th order LP mode is suppressed.

Abstract: A characteristic-measuring apparatus for a multi-core fiber includes: a coupling device that couples, at a first end of the multi-core fiber, light to a plurality of cores in the multi-core fiber; an imaging device that takes an image, at a second end of the multi-core fiber, of emission light emitted from the plurality of cores, where the plurality of cores are imaged at the same time; and a calculating device that determines a characteristic of the multi-core fiber based on images obtained by the imaging device.

Abstract: A method of measuring crosstalk of a multicore fiber, the method including capturing an emitted light pattern at an end portion of a dummy fiber and obtaining a correlation data between a power of the light incident on the dummy fiber and the emitted light pattern, irradiating one core of the multicore fiber with a light through the dummy fiber, and measuring a power of a reference light emitted from the core, capturing a crosstalk light emitted from a different core different from the core on which the light is incident under a state where the reference light is masked, and estimating a power of the crosstalk light from a captured data of the crosstalk light and the correlation data, and calculating the crosstalk from the power of the reference light and the power of the crosstalk light.

Abstract: A multicore fiber that includes: three or more cores that transmit in single-mode transmission; a common clad that covers a periphery of the three or more cores; and a low-refractive index portion that has a refractive index lower than a refractive index of the clad. The multicore fiber further includes a region having the three or more cores arranged annularly on a cross-section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction. At least a portion of the low-refractive index portion is arranged inside a minimum inscribed circle of two adjacent cores within the region.

Abstract: A multi-core fiber performs communication using light up to an xth-order LP mode (where x is an integer of 1 or more) in a communication band. The multi-core fiber includes: a plurality of signal light propagation cores that propagate light up to an (x+1)th-order LP mode; and at least one high-loss core that has a higher loss of propagated light than the signal light propagation cores. Crosstalk occurs between light of the (x+1)th-order LP mode propagated through at least one signal light propagation core and light of a primary LP mode propagated through at least one high-loss core.

Abstract: A multicore fiber includes a plurality of cores including a first core and a cladding surrounding the plurality of cores. The first core includes: an inner core; and an outer core surrounding the inner core with no gap and having a refractive index higher than a refractive index of the inner core and a refractive index of the cladding. The core is not doped with any rare earth element. At least two LP mode light beams at a predetermined wavelength propagate through the first core at an attenuation of 0.3 dB/km or less.

Abstract: A multicore fiber for communication 10 which allows propagation of an optical signal includes: a clad 12;a core 11a which is arranged in a center of the clad 12; and seven to ten cores 11b which are arranged at equal intervals surrounding the core 11a, and the cladding diameter is 230 ?m, distances between centers of the mutually neighboring cores 11a and 11b are 30 ?m or more, distances between the centers of the cores 11b and an outer peripheral surface of the clad 12 are 35 ?m or more and a mode field diameter of light propagating in the cores 11a and 11b is 9 ?m to 13 ?m.

Abstract: An optical fiber that communicates in a predetermined communication band includes: a signal light propagation core that propagates light beams of up to (x+1)-th order LP mode, where x is an integer of two or more; and a coupler that propagates a light beam that is: coupled with a light beam of the (x+1)-th order LP mode propagating through the signal light propagation core, and suppressed from being coupled with light beams of up to the x-th order LP mode propagating through the signal light propagation core, wherein, mode coupling of the light beams of up to the x-th order LP mode propagating through the signal light propagation core is performed, and mode coupling between the light beam of the x-th order LP mode and the light beam of (x+1)-th order LP mode is suppressed.

Abstract: An optical device includes a plurality of cores and a clad that surrounds outer circumferential surfaces of the cores and has a lower refractive index than the cores. Each of the cores has a large diameter portion, a tapered portion, and a reduced diameter portion formed along a longitudinal direction and has a refractive index gradually increasing from outer circumference to a center. In each of the cores, a radial-direction distance r (?m) from the center, a refractive index n(r) at the distance r, a relative refractive index difference ?[%] of the center with respect to the clad, a radius r0 [?m], and a constant ? satisfy predetermined formulas and a wavelength ? [nm] of light propagating through the cores and a diameter R of each core before the diameter reduction with respect to a diameter of each core after the diameter reduction satisfy predetermined formulas.