Abstract: A multicore fiber includes a plurality of unit multicore fibers each including: a plurality of core portions; and a clad portion which is formed in an outer circumference of the core portions and has a refractive index lower than a maximum refractive index of the core portions. The plurality of the core portions have substantially same refractive index profile and different group delays at same wavelength in same propagation mode. The core portions of the multicore fiber are configured so that the core portions of the plurality of the unit multicore fibers are connected in cascade, a maximum value of differential group delays between the core portions of the multicore fiber is smaller than a reduced value of a maximum value of differential group delays between the core portions of each unit multicore fiber as a value in terms of a length of the multicore fiber.

Abstract: A production method of an optical fiber preform includes first preparing a first preform having a plurality of glass preforms and a first cladding portion disposed between the plurality of glass preforms, and first arranging a second cladding portion to surround the first preform. At the first arranging, a material gas and a combustion gas are ejected from a burner to produce glass particles. The first preform and the burner are moved relative to each other in a longitudinal direction of the first preform. The glass particles are deposited on the first preform.

Abstract: A bundle structure is obtained by arranging optical fibers having equal diameters in a close-packed arrangement around the outer circumference of a center optical fiber. The optical fibers are signal light optical fibers that transmit signal lights. The optical fiber is a pump light optical fiber that transmits pump light. The number of optical fibers is equal to the number of cores in the multi-core fiber. The bundle structure and the multi-core fiber are connected to one another by adhering or fusing. The cores and the cores are optically connected, and the core and the cladding are optically connected. When connecting, the mode field diameter of the cores and the cores are substantially equivalent. In addition, the outer diameter (diameter of circumscribed circle including optical fibers) of the bundle structure is set so as not to be greater than the outer diameter of the multi-core fiber.

Abstract: A multicore fiber includes a plurality of unit multicore fibers each including: a plurality of core portions; and a clad portion which is formed in an outer circumference of the core portions and has a refractive index lower than a maximum refractive index of the core portions. The plurality of the core portions have substantially same refractive index profile and different group delays at same wavelength in same propagation mode. The core portions of the multicore fiber are configured so that the core portions of the plurality of the unit multicore fibers are connected in cascade, a maximum value of differential group delays between the core portions of the multicore fiber is smaller than a reduced value of a maximum value of differential group delays between the core portions of each unit multicore fiber as a value in terms of a length of the multicore fiber.

Abstract: A multicore fiber 1 includes a plurality of cores 3 disposed at predetermined intervals and surrounded by a cladding 5. The multicore fiber 1 also includes a marker 7 formed apart from the cores 3. The refractive index of the marker 7 is different from those of the cores 3 and the cladding 5. For example, the marker 7 may be made of a material having lower refractive index than that of the cladding 5. In this case, for example, the cores 3 may be made of germanium-doped quartz. The cladding 5 may be made of pure quartz. The marker 7 may be made of fluorine-doped quartz. Further, the marker 7 may be an empty hole.

Abstract: A production method of an optical fiber preform includes: preparing a plurality of bar-shaped first preforms and a plurality of second preforms including through holes having substantially same shape with a shape of outer periphery of a cross section of the first preform, the cross section being orthogonal to a major axis of the first preform; and an assembly step of: matching the through holes of the second preforms to make communication holes; and inserting, through each of the communication holes, at least two of the first preforms arranged side by side in a direction of the major axis such that the second preforms and the first preforms are fitting each other. In at least one position in the direction of the major axis of the communication holes, a position where the second preforms contact with each other differs from a position where the first preforms contact with each other.

Abstract: An optical fiber includes a core portion, and a cladding portion being formed at an outer periphery of the core portion and having a refractive index lower than a maximum refractive index of the core portion. The core portion has ?-shaped refractive index profile in which a value of ? is equal to or greater than 3 and equal to or smaller than 10, and at least a diameter of the core portion and a relative refractive-index difference of the core portion relative to the cladding portion are set so that light can be propagated with equal to or greater than 6 propagation modes at a wavelength of light inputted.

Abstract: A production method of an optical fiber preform includes first preparing a first preform having a plurality of glass preforms and a first cladding portion disposed between the plurality of glass preforms, and first arranging a second cladding portion to surround the first preform. At the first arranging, a material gas and a combustion gas are ejected from a burner to produce glass particles. The first preform and the burner are moved relative to each other in a longitudinal direction of the first preform. The glass particles are deposited on the first preform.

Abstract: A bundle structure is obtained by arranging optical fibers having equal diameters in a close-packed arrangement around the outer circumference of a center optical fiber. The optical fibers are signal light optical fibers that transmit signal lights. The optical fiber is a pump light optical fiber that transmits pump light. The number of optical fibers is equal to the number of cores in the multi-core fiber. The bundle structure and the multi-core fiber are connected to one another by adhering or fusing. The cores and the cores are optically connected, and the core and the cladding are optically connected. When connecting, the mode field diameter of the cores and the cores are substantially equivalent. In addition, the outer diameter (diameter of circumscribed circle including optical fibers) of the bundle structure is set so as not to be greater than the outer diameter of the multi-core fiber.

Abstract: An optical-fiber-bundle structure is connected to one end of a multi-core fiber. The multi-core fiber has a tapered section formed therein. The outside diameter of the multi-core fiber and the core pitch thereof decrease in the tapered section. It is possible for the multi-core fiber to have an increasing core pitch on the connection-side thereof which connects to the optical-fiber-bundle structure; hence, it is possible to use an easy-to-use large-diameter optical fiber as the optical fiber to be provided in the optical-fiber-bundle structure. When connecting another multi-core fiber to the other end of the multi-core fiber, it is possible to match the outer diameters thereof; hence, when fusion splicing to one another, it is unlikely for a positional shift of the cores to occur.

Abstract: A multi-core optical fiber has: a plurality of core portions; a cladding portion that is positioned around each of the plurality of core portions and has a refractive index lower than that of each of the plurality of core portions; and a separation distance between adjacent ones of the plurality of core portions being set so that crosstalk of light between the adjacent core portions over an entire length thereof becomes ?15 dB or greater at a wavelength of 1550 nm and a cable cut-off wavelength becomes 1530 nm or less.

Abstract: An optical transmission system includes an optical transmitting unit, a multi-core optical fiber, an optical multiplexing unit, an optical demultiplexing unit, and an optical receiving unit. The optical transmitting unit outputs optical signals having a plurality of wavelengths included in an operation wavelength band. The multi-core optical fiber is connected to the optical transmitting unit and has a plurality of core portions. The optical multiplexing unit multiplexes the optical signals to the core portions. The optical demultiplexing unit demultiplexes the optical signals transmitted through the multi-core optical fiber. The optical receiving unit receives the optical signals demultiplexed by the optical demultiplexing unit, and the optical signals having different wavelengths from each other are input to different core portions from each other.

Abstract: An optical transmission system includes an optical transmitting unit, a multi-core optical fiber, an optical multiplexing unit, an optical demultiplexing unit, and an optical receiving unit. The optical transmitting unit outputs optical signals having a plurality of wavelengths included in an operation wavelength band. The multi-core optical fiber is connected to the optical transmitting unit and has a plurality of core portions. The optical multiplexing unit multiplexes the optical signals to the core portions. The optical demultiplexing unit demultiplexes the optical signals transmitted through the multi-core optical fiber. The optical receiving unit receives the optical signals demultiplexed by the optical demultiplexing unit, and the optical signals having different wavelengths from each other are input to different core portions from each other.

Abstract: A multicore fiber 1 includes a plurality of cores 3 disposed at predetermined intervals and surrounded by a cladding 5. The multicore fiber 1 also includes a marker 7 formed apart from the cores 3. The refractive index of the marker 7 is different from those of the cores 3 and the cladding 5. For example, the marker 7 may be made of a material having lower refractive index than that of the cladding 5. In this case, for example, the cores 3 may be made of germanium-doped quartz. The cladding 5 may be made of pure quartz. The marker 7 may be made of fluorine-doped quartz. Further, the marker 7 may be an empty hole.

Abstract: An optical transmission system includes an optical transmitting unit that outputs at least one optical signal having a wavelength included in an operation wavelength band and a holey fiber that is connected to the optical transmitting unit. The holey fiber includes a core and a cladding formed around the core. The cladding includes a plurality of holes formed around the core in a triangular lattice shape. The holey fiber transmits the optical signal in a single mode. A bending loss of the holey fiber is equal to or less than 5 dB/m at a wavelength within the operation wavelength band when the holey fiber is wound at a diameter of 20 millimeters.

Abstract: A multi-core optical fiber includes: a plurality of core portions; and a cladding portion positioned so as to surround each of the core portions, wherein each core portion includes a center core portion that has a refractive index greater than that of the cladding portion, a second core portion that is formed so as to surround the center core portion and that has a refractive index less than that of the center core portion, and a depressed portion that is formed so as to surround the second core portion and that has a refractive index less than those of the second core portion and the cladding portion, and an interval distance between the adjacent core portions is set such that optical cross-talk between the core portions for a total length of the multi-core optical fiber is equal to or less than ?30 dB at a wavelength of 1.55 ?m.

Abstract: A multi-core optical fiber has: a plurality of core portions; a cladding portion that is positioned around each of the plurality of core portions and has a refractive index lower than that of each of the plurality of core portions; and a separation distance between adjacent ones of the plurality of core portions being set so that crosstalk of light between the adjacent core portions over an entire length thereof becomes ?15 dB or greater at a wavelength of 1550 nm and a cable cut-off wavelength becomes 1530 nm or less.

Abstract: A multi-core optical fiber includes a plurality of core portions. The diameter of each of the core portions is 12 micrometers or smaller, the relative refractive-index difference of the core portions with respect to the cladding portion is 0.2% or larger, the cut-off wavelength is 1.53 micrometers or smaller, the bending loss at a 1.55-micrometer wavelength is 10 dB/m or smaller, the effective core area at a 1.55-micrometer wavelength is 30 ?m2 or larger, and the cross-talk of light between the core portions is ?35 decibels or smaller.

Abstract: A multi-core optical fiber includes: a plurality of core portions; and a cladding portion positioned around the plurality of core portions and including, in a cross section of the cladding portion, a flat portion in at least a part of an outer periphery of the cladding portion and a remaining portion of the outer periphery that is circular, the cross section being perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the cladding portion.

Abstract: A multi-core optical fiber which has a plurality of core portions arranged separately from one another in a cross-section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction, and a cladding portion located around the core portions, the multi-core optical fiber comprises a cylindrical portion of which diameter is even, and a reverse-tapered portion gradually expanding toward at least one edge in the longitudinal direction, wherein a gap between each adjacent ones of the core portions in the reverse-tapered portion is greater than that in the cylindrical portion.