Abstract: The disclosure provides optical fibers that exhibit low macrobend loss at 1550 nm at bend diameters between 10 mm and 40 mm. The relative refractive index profile of the fibers includes a trench cladding region with small depth, large width and a trench volume configured to minimize macrobend loss at large and small bend diameters. The optical fiber includes an outer cladding region that surrounds and is directly adjacent to the trench cladding region and an optional offset cladding region between the trench cladding region and the core region. In some embodiments, the trench cladding region has a relative refractive index that decreases monotonically from the inner radius to the outer radius. The monotonic decrease in relative refractive index may have a constant slope. The low macrobend loss at large and small diameters makes the optical fibers well suited for space-constrained deployment environments, such as data centers.

Abstract: An optical fiber coating apparatus that provides increased gyre stability and reduced gyre strength, thereby providing a more reliable coating application process during fiber drawing includes a cone-only coating die having a conical entrance portion with a tapered wall angled at a half angle ?, wherein 2°???25°, and a cone height L1 less than 2.2 mm, and a cylindrical portion having an inner diameter of d2, wherein 0.1 mm?d2?0.5 mm and a cylindrical height of L2, wherein 0.05 mm?L2?1.

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 multicore optical fiber includes an inner glass region having a plurality of core regions surrounded by a common outer cladding, the inner glass region further having at least one marker and an outer diameter in the range of 120 microns and 130 microns, wherein each core region is comprised of a germania-doped silica core and a fluorine-doped silica trench, wherein the trench volume of the fluorine-doped silica trench is greater than 50% ? microns2. The fiber has an outer coating layer surrounding the inner glass region, the outer coating layer having a primary coating layer and a secondary coating layer with a diameter of the secondary coating layer equal to or less than 200 microns, wherein each core region has a mode field diameter greater than 8.2 microns at 1310 nm, a cable cutoff wavelength of less than 1260 nm, and zero dispersion wavelength of less than 1335 nm.

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 draw system and method of coating an optical fiber. The system includes a furnace for heating an optical fiber preform, a draw assembly for drawing the optical fiber at a draw speed greater than 50 meters per second, a first coating applicator for applying a first coating onto the fiber, and a first curing assembly comprising a first plurality of light sources comprising light-emitting diodes for partially curing the first coating. The optical fiber draw system also includes a second coating applicator for applying a second coating onto the fiber on top of the first coating, and a second curing system comprising a second plurality of light sources for curing the second coating, wherein the first coating is further cured in the range of 15-50 percent after leaving the first curing assembly.

Abstract: A method of forming an optical fiber preform includes: flowing a silicon halide and an oxidizer inside of a substrate tube, wherein a molar ratio of the silicon halide to the oxidizer is from about 1.5 to about 5.0; applying a plasma to the substrate tube to heat the substrate tube to a temperature of from about 1000° C. to about 1700° C.; and depositing silica glass comprising a halogen inside the substrate tube.

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: The present disclosure relates to a process by which an optical fiber is terminated with a ferrule to form an optical fiber connector assembly. The ferrule is heated at a heating temperature whereby the ferrule bore (and ferrule microhole) expands. The optical fiber is then inserted into the ferrule microhole. The ferrule then contracts when heat is no longer applied resulting in an interference fit between the optical fiber and the ferrule microhole based on the dimensions of the optical fiber and the ferrule microhole. The interference fit yields certain optical fiber characteristics within the optical fiber connector assembly. The present disclosure also relates to an optical fiber having an outer cladding comprising titania-doped silica and the resulting optical fiber characteristics.

Abstract: A optical fiber comprising a central core region having an outer radius r1 of 3 ?m to 7 ?m, and a maximum refractive index ?1 of 0.25% to 0.5% and an alpha (a) profile of 1 to 20; a cladding region comprising (i) a first inner cladding region surrounding the core, having a refractive index ?2 of ?0.25% to 0.05% and a radius r2 of 6 ?m to 15 ?m, (ii) a second inner cladding region, surrounding the first inner cladding region, having a refractive index ?3 of ?0.1% to 0.2% and a radius r3 of 7 ?m to 15 ?m, and (iii) an outer cladding region, surrounding the second inner cladding region, having a refractive index ?4 between ?0.05% to 0.1%; wherein the optical fiber exhibits a cable cutoff of less than 1260 nm, a mode field diameter at 1310 nm of greater than 8.2 microns.

Abstract: An optical system comprising: an optical assembly having a first optical surface and a rear optical surface, said optical assembly comprising at least three optical elements; an optical fiber comprising a core portion with a mode field diameter (MFD) expanded region optically coupled to the rear optical surface of the optical assembly, the optical fiber comprising a core region doped with chlorine in a concentration greater than 0.5 wt %, wherein the MFD expanded region is less than 5 cm in length, and has MFD at the fiber end coupled to the optical assembly that is a least 20% greater than the MFD at other end of the optical fiber; an optical signal source coupled to first optical surface of the optical assembly, such that the optical signal provided by the optical signal source is routed along an optical path formed by the optical assembly to the mode field diameter expanded region of said optical fiber.

Abstract: A plugged honeycomb structure includes intersecting porous walls extending in an axial direction between an inlet end and an outlet end of the honeycomb structure, the intersecting porous walls forming a matrix of repeating unit cells arranged in a repeating pattern. The repeating unit cells comprise: three or four channels, each channel formed by four walls, wherein the three or four channels comprise more inlet channels than outlet channels, at least one wall of an inlet channel or an outlet channel is intersected midwall by a wall, an area of an outlet channel is equal to or less than an area of any of the inlet channels, and continuous line segments extending along walls of at least three repeating unit cells. Other plugged honeycomb structures, plugged honeycomb bodies, honeycomb extrusion dies, and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: The single mode optical fiber disclosed herein has a core, an inner cladding, a trench and an outer cladding, along with a non-glass protective coating. The refractive index profile of the optical fiber is such that the optical fiber has relatively low bend loss at both small and large bend diameters. The relative refractive indices of the inner cladding, trench and outer cladding are such that a tunneling point that arises during bending is pushed out beyond the trench and thus sufficiently far away from the core so that bending losses for both small and large radius bends are relatively small.

Abstract: A method of forming an optical fiber preform includes flowing a precursor stream through a burner toward a substrate, the precursor stream comprising a glass precursor gas and a carrier gas, the carrier gas having a kinematic viscosity at 2000 K of greater than 5 cm2/sec and a ratio of heat capacity to universal gas constant (Cp/R) 2000 K of less than 4; flowing an inflammable gas through the burner; pyrogenically forming glass particles from the glass precursor gas, the pyrogenically forming comprising combusting the inflammable gas; flowing a shield gas through the burner, the shield gas flowing between the precursor stream and the inflammable gas, the shield gas having a kinematic viscosity at 2000 K of greater than 5 cm2/sec and a ratio of heat capacity to universal gas constant (Cp/R) at 2000 K of less than 4; and depositing the glass particles onto the substrate.

Abstract: Optical fibers having a large effective area and a low cutoff wavelength are disclosed. Three main embodiments of the optical fiber allow for single-mode operation at wavelengths greater than 980 nm, and have a large effective area with low bend losses and low dispersion at 1310 nm. The large effective area optical fiber is expected to be particularly useful for data center applications due to its ability to efficiently optically couple with VCSELs and photonic integrated devices. Integrated systems and optical communication systems that employ the optical fibers are also disclosed.

Abstract: The wideband multimode co-doped optical fiber has a silica core co-doped with GeO2 and Al2O3. The GeO2 concentration is maximum at the fiber centerline and monotonically decreases radially out to the core radius. The Al2O3 concentration is minimum at the centerline and monotonically increases radially out to maximum concentration at the core radius. The cladding has an inner cladding region of relative refractive index ?2, an intermediate cladding region having a relative refractive index ?3, and an outer cladding region having a relative refractive index ?4, wherein ?3<?2, ?4. The optical fiber has a bandwidth BW?5 GHz·km with a peak wavelength ?P within a wavelength range of 800 nm to 1200 nm and over a wavelength band ?? of at least 100 nm.

Abstract: A method of terminating an optical fiber having an inner core with a fiber optic connector including a ferrule having a micro-bore and an end face with a mating location is disclosed. The method includes determining a bore bearing angle of a bore offset of the micro-bore in the ferrule; determining a core bearing angle of a core offset of the inner core in the optical fiber; orienting the ferrule and the optical fiber relative to each other to minimize the distance between the inner core and the mating location; heating the ferrule to an processing temperature above room temperature; and coupling the optical fiber to the micro-bore of the ferrule. The size of the micro-bores and optical fibers may be selected to maximize the number of interference fits in a population of ferrules and optical fibers while minimizing failed fittings between the ferrules and optical fibers in the populations.

Abstract: A multicore optical fiber comprising: a depressed index common-cladding region having a refractive index ?cc; and a plurality of core portions disposed within the depressed index common-cladding region, wherein each core portion comprises: a central axis, a core region comprising a relative refractive index ?1, an inner-cladding region encircling and directly contacting the core region comprising a relative refractive index ?2, a trench region encircling and directly contacting the inner cladding region comprising a relative refractive index ?3, and an outer-cladding region encircling and directly contacting the trench region comprising a relative refractive index ?4, wherein the refractive index of the depressed index common-cladding region ?cc is less than the refractive index of the outer-cladding region ?4, and wherein a difference between the refractive index of the depressed index common-cladding region ?cc and the refractive index of the first outer-cladding region ?4 is greater than 0.05% ?.

Abstract: Preparation of halogen-doped silica is described. The preparation includes doping silica with high halogen concentration, sintering halogen-doped silica to a closed-pore state, and subjecting the closed-pore silica body to a thermal treatment process and/or a pressure treatment process. The temperature of thermal treatment is sufficiently high to facilitate reaction of unreacted doping precursor trapped in voids or interstices of the glass structure, but is below temperatures conducive to foaming. Core canes or fibers drawn from halogen-doped silica subjected to the thermal treatment and/or pressure treatment show improved optical quality and possess fewer defects. The thermal treatment and/or pressure treatment is particularly advantageous when used for silica doped with high concentrations of halogen.

Abstract: A coupled-core multicore optical fiber has a plurality of cores that are doped with alkali metals or chlorine to achieve low attenuation and a large effective area. The cores may be embedded in a common cladding region that may be fluorine doped. The cores may also be doped with chlorine, either with the alkali metals described above or without the alkali metals.