Abstract: A method of forming an optical element is provided. The method includes producing silica-based soot particles using chemical vapor deposition, the silica-based soot particles having an average particle size of between about 0.05 ?m and about 0.25 ?m. The method also includes forming a soot compact from the silica-based soot particles and doping the soot compact with a halogen in a closed system by contacting the silica-based soot compact with a halogen-containing gas in the closed system at a temperature of less than about 1200° C.

Abstract: A multicore optical fiber may include a common cladding comprising a radius R4 defining a glass portion of the optical fiber and having a cladding relative refractive index ?4. At least two waveguides may extend through the common cladding. Each waveguide may include a core region, an inner cladding region, and a depressed cladding region. Each core region may include a maximum relative refractive index ?1max. Each inner cladding region may include a relative refractive index ?2. Each depressed cladding region may include a minimum relative refractive index ?3min and a trench volume from 20-45% ?m2 such that ?1max>?2>?3min, and ?4>?3min. A cable cutoff wavelength of each waveguide is ?1150 nm. The co-propagating and counter-propagating inter-waveguide cross talk between each waveguide and a nearest waveguide is <?35 dB at 1310 nm and <?20 dB at 1550 nm for application lengths of 20 m. A mode field diameter of each waveguide is 8.2-9.0 ?m at 1310 nm.

Abstract: Optical fiber draw production systems, pressure devices, and methods of fabrication of optical fiber are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of forming an optical fiber includes heating a preform to draw the optical fiber through a draw furnace, and passing the optical fiber through a pressure device while the optical fiber is still forming, wherein a pressure within the pressure device is greater than an atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: Foldable apparatus can comprise a first portion comprising a first edge surface defined between a first surface area and a second surface area opposite the first surface area. Foldable apparatus can comprise a second portion comprising a second edge surface defined between a third surface area and a fourth surface area opposite the third surface area. A polymer-based portion can be positioned between the first blunted edge surface and the second blunted edge surface. In some embodiments, the polymer-based portion can comprise a polymer thickness of about 50 micrometers or less measured from the second surface area and/or the first surface area. In some embodiments, the first edge surface and/or the second edge surface can comprise a blunted edge surface. In some embodiments, a coating can be disposed over the first portion, the second portion and the polymer-based portion.

Abstract: An amplifying optical fiber includes a common cladding comprising a radius defining a glass portion of the amplifying optical fiber and having a relative refractive index ?4. At least one waveguide extends through the common cladding The at least one waveguide includes a core region, an inner cladding region encircling and directly contacting the core region, and a depressed cladding region encircling and directly contacting the inner cladding region. The core region includes from greater than or equal to about 500 ppm and less than or equal to about 10,000 ppm Er2O3 and has core maximum relative refractive index ?1max. The inner cladding region includes an inner cladding relative refractive index ?2. The depressed cladding region includes a minimum depressed relative refractive index ?3min such that ?1max>?2>?3min and ?4>?3min.

Abstract: A single mode optical fiber is provided that includes a core region having an outer radius r1 and a maximum relative refractive index ?1max. The single mode optical fiber further includes a cladding region surrounding the core region, the cladding region includes a depressed-index cladding region, a relative refractive index ?3 of the depressed-index cladding region increasing with increased radial position. The single mode optical fiber has a bend loss at 1550 nm for a 15 mm diameter mandrel of less than about 0.75 dB/turn, a bend loss at 1550 nm for a 20 mm diameter mandrel of less than about 0.2 dB/turn, and a bend loss at 1550 nm for a 30 mm diameter mandrel of less than 0.005 dB/turn. Additionally, the single mode optical fiber has a mode field diameter of 9.0 microns or greater at 1310 nm wavelength.

Abstract: A single mode optical fiber including a core region doped with an alkali metal. The optical fiber has a total attenuation at 1550 nm of about 0.155 dB/km or less such that extrinsic absorption in the optical fiber contributes to 0.

Abstract: A method includes heating a hollow-core preform comprising an outer tube and an inner tube. The outer tube includes an inner radius rocp and an outer radius Rocp. The inner tube includes an inner radius rcp and an outer radius Rcp. The method further includes drawing a hollow-core optical fiber from the hollow-core preform at a draw tension Tg in grams, thereby elongating the outer tube into an outer cladding of the hollow-core optical fiber and the inner tube to a capillary of the hollow-core optical fiber. The draw tension Tg and/or a differential capillary pressure ?pc are selected at least in part based on a non-dimensional parameter X 1 = 3 ? ? ? ( R ocp 2 - r ocp 2 ) ? R cp ( ? ? p c ? r cp - 2 ? ? c ) 4 ? Tr cp ( R cp - r cp ) , where T is the draw tension in dynes and T=981×Tg, ?pc is in dynes/cm2, ?c in dyne/cm is a surface energy of a glass material forming the inner tube, and ?0.5?X1?0.75.

Abstract: A method may include: feeding a hollow-core preform into a draw furnace at a preform feed rate Vp; heating the hollow-core preform comprising an outer tube having an inner radius/diameter rp/IDpreform and an outer radius/diameter Rp/ODpreform; and drawing a hollow-core optical fiber from the hollow-core preform at a fiber draw rate Vf and a draw tension ?, thereby elongating the outer tube of the hollow-core preform to an outer cladding of the hollow-core optical fiber having an inner radius/diameter rf/IDfiber and an outer radius/diameter Rf/ODfiber; wherein: the interior cavity of the outer tube is under a differential core pressure Pcore, the differential core pressure Pcore, the inner and outer radii rp and Rp of the outer tube are selected such that a tight control over target inner and outer radii rf and Rf and a fiber dimension sensitivity ?IDfiber of the outer cladding can be achieved.

Abstract: Embodiments of current disclosure include a multicore optical fiber including a common-cladding region having a refractive index ?cc and an outer radius RCC; and at least two core portions disposed within the common-cladding region, wherein each core portion includes a central axis, a core region extending from the central axis to an outer radius ri, wherein each of the at least two core portions is doped with a dopant from a group including sodium, potassium, rubidium or combination thereof, an inner-cladding region encircling and directly contacting the core region and extending from the outer radius r1 to an outer radius r2, a trench region encircling and directly contacting the inner cladding region and extending from the outer radius r2 to an outer radius r3, the trench region having a trench volume greater than or equal to 20% ? micron2 and less than or equal to 60% ? micron2.

Abstract: Foldable apparatus can comprise a first portion comprising a first edge surface defined between a first surface area and a second surface area opposite the first surface area. Foldable apparatus can comprise a second portion comprising a second edge surface defined between a third surface area and a fourth surface area opposite the third surface area. A polymer-based portion can be positioned between the first blunted edge surface and the second blunted edge surface. In some embodiments, the polymer-based portion can comprise a polymer thickness of about 50 micrometers or less measured from the second surface area and/or the first surface area. In some embodiments, the first edge surface and/or the second edge surface can comprise a blunted edge surface. In some embodiments, a coating can be disposed over the first portion, the second portion and the polymer-based portion.

Abstract: An optical fiber may include a core region and a cladding region surrounding the core region. The cladding region may include an inner cladding region surrounding the core region, a depressed-index cladding region surrounding the inner cladding region, and an outer cladding region surrounding the depressed-index cladding region. The inner cladding region may include a thickness greater than or equal to 1 ?m. The depressed-index cladding region may include a first region and a second region, wherein a relative refractive index of the depressed-index cladding region may decrease monotonically with increasing radius in the first region, and wherein the relative refractive index of the depressed-index cladding region may be substantially constant in the second region. The optical fiber may achieve low microbend loss with large mode field diameter, while also maintaining low macrobend loss, low cable cutoff, and/or a zero dispersion wavelength between 1300 nm and 1324 nm.

Abstract: An optical fiber including a core region having an outer radius r1 in a range from 4.0 ?m to 8.0 ?m and a relative refractive index profile ?1 with a maximum relative refractive index ?1max in a range from 0.20% to 0.50%, a cladding region comprising a trench cladding region having a minimum relative refractive index ?3 min greater than ?0.60% and less than ?0.10%, and a trench volume greater than 30%-?m2 and an outer cladding region having a relative refractive index ?4 in a range from ?0.10% to 0.10%. The optical fiber also including a primary coating and a secondary coating. The optical fiber has a mode field diameter at 1310 nm of greater than 8.8 microns, a cable cutoff wavelength of less than 1260 nm, a zero dispersion wavelength between 1300 nm and 1324 nm, and low macrobend loss at 1550 nm.

Abstract: A fiber coupling assembly for interfacing solid core and a hollow core optical fibers includes first and second fiber optic ferrules each having a bore between proximal and distal end faces thereof. At least one ferrule end face is non-perpendicular to longitudinal axes of the ferrules. A bore of one ferrule contains a hollow core optical fiber, and a bore of the other optic ferrule contains a solid core optical fiber with a mode field diameter (MFD) transition region, to bridge a MFD mismatch between the fibers. An air gap may be provided between at least portions of ferrules at an inter-ferrule region. A fiber optic ferrule includes a bore that is non-parallel with a longitudinal axis of the ferrule, and at least one end face that is non-perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, with an optical fiber in the bore optionally including a MFD transition region.

Abstract: A coupler including a first end that optically couples with a plurality of single-core optical fibers, a second end that optically couples with a multi-core optical fiber, and a plurality of cores that each extends from the first end to the second end. The plurality of cores comprising a first core such that an outer diameter of the first core at the first end is larger than an outer diameter of the first core at the second end. The coupler further includes an outer cladding surrounding the plurality of cores and extending from the first end to the second end such that an outer diameter of the outer cladding at the first end is larger than an outer diameter of the outer cladding at the second end. Additionally, the coupler is a single, contiguous, conical glass member that tapers from the first end to the second end.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a hollow core optical fiber including a vapor deposition step comprising vapor depositing a silica soot coating from one or more source materials over an outer surface of a cladding substrate tube of a workpiece that further includes capillary tubes disposed within a cavity of the cladding substrate tube. The compositions of the capillary tubes, the cladding substrate tube, and the silica soot coating can be manipulated with one or more viscosity-raising dopants or one or more viscosity-lowering dopants, or neither, to achieve a desired compositional profile of a hollow core optical fiber preform with a cladding consolidated from the silica soot coating of the workpiece. The desired composition profile results in a viscosity profile that prevents the capillary tubes from contacting each other during a drawing step performed upon the hollow core optical fiber preform.

Abstract: A fiber optic connector that includes a connector body comprising a ferrule retaining portion, a pusher engagement portion and a body cable passage extending through the pusher engagement portion and the ferrule retaining portion. The connector includes a ferrule assembly structurally configured to be retained by the ferrule retaining portion with an optical fiber bore of the ferrule assembly in alignment with the body cable passage. The connector includes a pusher structurally configured to axially engage the pusher engagement portion with a pusher cable passage in alignment with the body cable passage, and a seal component with superabsorbent properties.

Abstract: A fiber coupling assembly for interfacing solid core and a hollow core optical fibers includes first and second fiber optic ferrules each having a bore between proximal and distal end faces thereof. At least one ferrule end face is non-perpendicular to longitudinal axes of the ferrules. A bore of one ferrule contains a hollow core optical fiber, and a bore of the other optic ferrule contains a solid core optical fiber with a mode field diameter (MFD) transition region, to bridge a MFD mismatch between the fibers. An air gap may be provided between at least portions of ferrules at an inter-ferrule region. A fiber optic ferrule includes a bore that is non-parallel with a longitudinal axis of the ferrule, and at least one end face that is non-perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, with an optical fiber in the bore optionally including a MFD transition region.

Abstract: A rollable optical fiber ribbon utilizing low attenuation, bend insensitive fibers and cables incorporating such rollable ribbons are provided. The optical fibers are supported by a ribbon body, and the ribbon body is formed from a flexible material such that the optical fibers are reversibly movable from an unrolled position to a rolled position. The optical fibers have a large mode filed diameter, such as ?9 microns at 1310 nm facilitating low attenuation splicing/connectorization. The optical fibers are also highly bend insensitive, such as having a macrobend loss of ?0.5 dB/turn at 1550 nm for a mandrel diameter of 15 mm.

Abstract: An optical fiber comprising: a core having an outer radius r1; a cladding having an outer radius r4<45 microns; a primary coating surrounding the cladding and having an outer radius r5 and a thickness tp>8 microns, the primary coating having in situ modulus EP of 0.35 MPa or less and a spring constant ?P<1.6 MPa, where ?P=2EP r4/tP; and a secondary coating surrounding said primary coating, the secondary coating having an outer radius r6, a thickness tS=r6?r5, in situ modulus ES of 1200 MPa or greater, wherein >10 microns and r6?85 microns. The fiber has a mode field diameter MFD greater than 8.2 microns at 1310 nm; a cutoff wavelength of less than 1310 nm; and a bend loss at a wavelength of 1550 nm, when wrapped around a mandrel having a diameter of 10 mm, of less than 1.0 dB/turn.