Abstract: The deposition of glass particulate material on a glass rod having a core is performed using a multi-burner multi-layer deposition in the following manner. The distribution of target jacketing ratios (the ratios of diameter of a consolidated optical fiber preform to diameter of the glass rod) of an optical fiber preform, whereby optical fibers of desired characteristics can be produced, is determined in the longitudinal direction of the glass rod. Based on the target ratio distribution in the longitudinal direction of the glass rod, the amount of the glass particulate material supplied from each burner to each point is adjusted to make a porous preform. Thus, an optical fiber preform obtained by clarifying the porous preform has a small variation in divergence ratio in the longitudinal direction, the divergence ratio being defined as the ratio of target jacketing ratio to jacketing ratio of the resulting preform.

Abstract: A concentric multi-tubular burner for synthesizing glass particles having a center port group constituted by a combination of jet ports of raw material gas, combustible gas and oxygen gas, wherein an outer wall of the oxygen gas jet port in the center port group protrudes more toward a burner head than an inner wall of the oxygen gas jet port. The flow rate of oxygen gas jetted from the oxygen gas jet port of the center port group is controlled to be in a proper range.

Abstract: An optical fiber splicing method capable of fully reducing the splice loss at room temperature is provided. In the optical fiber splicing method in accordance with the present invention, respective end faces of optical fibers are fused together in a splicing step (S101). In a condition setting step (S102), a set value &agr;0 is set. Thereafter, a heating step (S103), a measuring step (S104), and a termination determining step (S105) are carried out repeatedly. In the heating step, a region including the fusion-spliced point is heated under a predetermined heating condition. In the measuring step, splice loss is measured. In the termination determining step, the splice loss &agr;n measured in the measuring step and the set value &agr;0 set in the condition setting step are compared with each other in terms of magnitude.

Abstract: A dispersion compensating optical fiber comprises a minimum wavelength at which an increase amount of an actual loss value with respect to a theoretical loss value is not less than 10 mdB/km in a use wavelength band and on a long wavelength side of the use wavelength band. The actual loss value is measured in a state that the fiber is looped around a bobbin. The minimum wavelength falls within a range of 1,565 to 1,700 nm. This dispersion compensating optical fiber is suitably used for an optical transmission line of a large-capacity high-speed WDM optical transmission system.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for producing a glass particles deposit in which a soot body having less fluctuation in the outer diameter in a longitudinal direction can be produced without increasing an ineffective portion formed at an end portion of the soot body.

Abstract: Fluorine-containing glass which comprises silica and contains, in said silica, not more than 10 ppm of OH group, not more than 10 ppm of Cl and not less than 1000 ppm of F, said fluorine-containing glass having a concentration ratio of F/Cl of 100 or more. Also disclosed is fluorine-containing glass which contains not more than 10 ppm of OH group, not more than 10 ppm of Cl and not less than 1000 ppm of F, and has a concentration ratio of F/Cl of 1000 or more.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical transmission line suitably used for a large-capacity high-speed WDM optical transmission system, and an optical fiber suitably used for such an optical transmission line. The dispersion compensating optical fiber has a minimum wavelength at which an increase amount of an actual loss value with respect to a theoretical loss value is not less than 10 mdB/km in a use wavelength band and on a long wavelength side of the use wavelength band. The actual loss value is measured in a state that the fiber is looped around a bobbin, and the minimum wavelength falls within a range of 1,565 to 1,700 nm.

Abstract: Two optical fibers to be spliced are prepared, coatings of resin are removed from end portions of the respective optical fibers to expose glass fibers, the glass fibers are aligned to each other, an a fusion step is carried out to heat the end faces of the glass fibers to cause fusion thereof to form a fusion-spliced portion. After that, an additive-diffusing step is carried out to diffuse an additive added in the glass fibers around the fusion-spiced portion, by a heat treatment around the fusion-spliced portion, by a heat treatment around the fusion-spliced portion at a first temperature of not less than 800° C. nor more than 1500° C. Further after the additive-diffusing step, a thermal-strain-removing step is carried out to remove thermal strain by a heat treatment of a wider region than heated regions in the fusion splice step and in the additive-diffusing step of the fusion-spliced portion, at a temperature of not less than 500° C. nor more than 1200° C.

Abstract: Three or more glass particle synthesizing burners are arranged to be opposed to a rotating glass rod. The glass rod and the glass particle synthesizing burners are reciprocated in parallel and relatively to deposit glass particles synthesized by the burners on the surface of the glass rod, thereby producing a soot body. The glass particle synthesizing conditions of the burners arranged at both ends are changed to have a greater deposition amount of glass particles per unit time in part or all of its movement range than other burners.

Abstract: An optical fiber splicing method capable of fully reducing the splice loss at room temperature is provided. In the optical fiber splicing method in accordance with the present invention, respective end faces of optical fibers are fused together in a splicing step (S101). In a condition setting step (S102), a set value &agr;0 is set. Thereafter, a heating step (S103), a measuring step (S104), and a termination determining step (S105) are carried out repeatedly. In the heating step, a region including the fusion-spliced point is heated under a predetermined heating condition. In the measuring step, splice loss is measured. In the termination determining step, the splice loss &agr;n measured in the measuring step and the set value &agr;0 set in the condition setting step are compared with each other in terms of magnitude.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an OFA having a high signal gain, easily manufactured, having a high mechanical strength, having a small splice loss with respect to other optical fibers, and rarely encountering the occurrence of noise at a signal wavelength. The OFA according to the present invention has a function of amplifying signals propagating therethroug by pumping light supplied thereto, and comprises, at least, a core region, an inner cladding region provided on the periphery of the core region, an outer cladding region provided on the periphery of the inner cladding region, and one or more node coupling gratings. An element for signal amplification is added to at least the core region. The core region has a structure ensuring a core mode with respect to the signals, while the inner cladding region has a structure ensuring a multi-mode with respect to the pumping light.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical transmission line suitably used for a large-capacity high-speed WDM optical transmission system, and an optical fiber suitably used for such an optical transmission line. The optical transmission line is formed by connecting a single-mode optical fiber (SMF) and a dispersion compensating optical fiber (DCF). The dispersion compensating optical fiber has a dispersion value DDCF (unit: ps/nm/km) and dispersion slope SDCF (unit: ps/nm2/km) falling within the ranges of −82 ≦DDCF≦−29 and 0.0023×DDCF≦SDCF≦0.033+0.0015×DDCF at a wavelength of 1,550 nm, respectively. At the wavelength of 1,550 nm, the transmission loss is 0.5 dB/km or less. Letting LDCF be the length of the dispersion compensating optical fiber, and LSMF be the length of the single-mode optical fiber, the value LDCF/(LDCF+LSMF) in the optical transmission line is 0.2 to 0.4.

Abstract: In a elongating process, diameter gauges 20, 25 are provided at two locations of upstream measurement position P1 and downstream measurement position P2 which are in a taper portion 1b of an optical fiber preform 1, and fixed target diameters D10, D20 are set for the respective positions. Then a feed speed V1 of starting preform 1a is controlled based on a deviation (D1−D10) of measured diameter D1 at the measurement position P1, while a take-up speed V2 of elongated preform 1c is controlled based on a deviation (D2−D20) of measured diameter D2 at the measurement position P2. This decreases a time lag of control over the outside diameter of the elongated preform 1c and it thus becomes feasible to control the outside diameter in good response and with accuracy. Accordingly, an optical fiber preform elongating method and elongating apparatus are substantiated with improved elongating accuracy of the optical fiber preform and with improved productivity thereof.

Abstract: A method of forming a silica soot preform comprising: forming a primary soot preform on an outer periphery of a glass rod by a primary burner; and forming a secondary soot preform by a secondary burner on an outer periphery the primary soot preform, wherein a diameter of the primary soot preform is set to be ranged from twice to five times of a diameter of the glass rod, a thickness of the secondary soot preform is set to be range from 1.5 times to seven times of that of the primary soot preform. Consequently, the deposition rate with respect to the introduction of the raw material gas is considerably increased. Further, it is possible to maximize a performance of depositing the primary soot preform.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical fiber comprising a structure which yields a low optical transmission loss even when doped with a high concentration of Ge element and is excellent in reliability for strength. The optical fiber according to the present invention comprises a core region whose maximum value &Dgr;max of relative refractive index difference with respect to silica glass non-intentionally doped with impurities is 0.8% or more, in its diameter direction, a cladding region comprising silica glass non-intentionally doped with impurities or silica glass doped with a predetermined amount of fluorine, and a hermetic coat mainly composed of carbon. In particular, the transmission loss &agr; at a wavelength of 1.55 &mgr;m and the maximum value &Dgr;max satisfy the relationship of: &agr;≦0.131×(&Dgr;max)2−0.214×(&Dgr;max)+0.284 in the optical fiber according to the present invention.

Abstract: A plurality of glass particles synthesizing burners are arranged at a predetermined burner interval opposite to a rotating starting rod. The starting rod and the glass particles synthesizing burners are relatively parallely reciprocally moved, and the soot deposition is conducted. A reciprocating speed v(mm/minute), axis rotating speed r (rpm), and burner interval L (mm) are set so that a value A expressed by the expression A=(r/v)×L is in a range 40≧A≧8.

Abstract: A drawing apparatus 1 has a drawing furnace 11 for heating and drawing an optical fiber preform 2, and a carbon heater 13 is disposed in this drawing furnace 11. The carbon heater 13 has a heating portion the length of which in a drawing direction is set to not less than 280 mm. The carbon heater 13 heats the preform so that a maximum temperature on the surface of the optical fiber preform 2 in the drawing furnace 11 becomes below 1800° C. The optical fiber preform 2 is drawn in a state in which the temperature of the muffle tube 12 of the drawing furnace 11 is kept below 1800° C., so that atomic arrangement in the optical fiber preform 2 becomes relatively aligned in a state of reduced randomness of atomic arrangement. This permits the optical fiber 3 to be drawn as reflecting the reduced randomness state of atomic arrangement, whereby the optical fiber 3 can be obtained with reduced Rayleigh scattering intensity and lowered transmission loss.

Abstract: A method of making an optical fiber preform in which a starting member prepared by fusing dummy rods to both end portions of a core preform is axially reciprocated relative to a glass synthesizing burner while being rotated about its axis, so that fine particles of glass synthesized by the burner are sprayed and deposited onto the outer periphery of the starting member, whereby a soot body is formed.

Abstract: A method for producing an optical fiber preform is provided in which the variation of the outer diameter in the longitudinal direction is minimized and a target quantity of glass is accumulated as a whole. Based on a predetermined relationship between three variables: the outer diameter of a starting rod being a first variable, the outer diameter of an optical fiber preform a second variable, and the timing for ending the glass particles depositing process a third variable, the starting rod and burners are subjected to relative reciprocating movement so as to deposit glass particles on the starting rod until the timing for ending the depositing process, and then the resulting deposit body is vitrified. The third variable may be the traverse velocity, the glass particles deposition time, or the weight of a soot glass deposit body.

Abstract: An optical fiber preform 2 having a viscosity ratio R&eegr;=&eegr;0/&eegr;t of 2.5 or less between the core average viscosity &eegr;0 and the total average viscosity &eegr;t is prepared, and is drawn by a drawing furnace 11 so as to yield an optical fiber 3, which is then heated to a temperature within a predetermined range so as to be annealed by a heating furnace 21 disposed downstream the drawing furnace 11. Here, upon annealing in the heating furnace 21, the fictive temperature Tf within the optical fiber lowers, thereby reducing the Rayleigh scattering loss. At the same time, the viscosity ratio condition of R&eegr;≦2.5 restrains the stress from being concentrated into the core, thereby lowering the occurrence of structural asymmetry loss and the like. Hence, an optical fiber which can reduce the transmission loss caused by the Rayleigh scattering loss and the like as a whole, and a method of making the same can be obtained.