Static fatigue lifetime of optical fibers in bending

An experimental program aimed at defining the effects of applied stress, temperature, humidity, and buffer coating on the static fatigue behavior of optical fibers in bending configurations is in progress. Data are presented below which demonstrate that the static fatigue behavior of fiber is strongly dependent on the polymeric buffer coating. Furthermore, the effect of humidity is readily evident by the comparison of times to failure at 30% RH and in water immersion. The ultimate objective of this research is to determine an allowable bend radius for fiber optic cable which is based on measurements of both static fatigue and strength in bending and which will assure reliable performance of the fiber over the design lifetime.     

少模光纤的弯曲损耗研究

随着光纤通信容量的不断增加, 基于少模光纤的模分复用技术由于其多信道复用、 高频谱效率及低非线性效应成为目前提高光纤通信容量的研究热点. 本文推导得到了适用于少模光纤中高阶模式弯曲损耗的计算公式, 系统研究了下陷层辅助弯曲不敏感抛物线型少模光纤的主要参数(包括芯层半径、芯层到下陷层距离、下陷层宽度及下陷层折射率差)对其弯曲损耗特性的影响. 研究表明: 对于少模光纤, 模式阶数越高, 光纤的弯曲敏感性越高; 随纤芯与下陷层间距离的变化, 光纤各阶模式的弯曲损耗均存在一个最小值. 本文结论对弯曲不敏感少模光纤的设计、制造及少模光纤弯曲性能优化具有指导意义.     

Few-mode step-index optical fibers with ultra-low bending losses

We propose a few-mode optical fiber for low-bending-loss applications. We demonstrate ultra-lowbending-loss operation in the fiber by tailoring the core radius and index contrast of step-index optical fibers. In addition, we investigate numerically splicing losses in single-mode optical fibers and demonstrate experimentally the ultra-low-bending-loss operation characteristics. The optical fiber elaborated provides a simple technique to realize the low-bending-loss operation.     

Study of bending loss and mode field diameter in depressed inner core triple-clad single-mode optical fibers

In this paper, the bending loss and the mode field diameter (MFD) of the R-type depressed inner core triple clad single-mode optical fibers are investigated. The effects of the optical and geometrical parameters on the bending loss and the MFD are examined in these fibers. The simulation results indicate that with increasing of the core radius (a), which is desired from manufacturing point of view, the bending loss and MFD coefficients are decreased. Consequently, the large core radius can be used to optimize the bending loss in the foregoing fibers. In the meantime, simulation outcomes show that the Δ and Q have considerable impact on the bending loss in the RI and RII fibers, respectively. The MFD and bending loss is decreased with increasing of Δ, but the case is inversed for Q. Based on the presented simulations, it is found out that the bending loss strongly depends on the distribution profile of the electric field in the cladding region for a given MFD. In other words, the field amplitude and damping rate in the cladding region determine the fiber bending loss.     

Dependence of macro-bending loss on bending configuration of multimode optical fibers studied by ray-tracing simulation

Optical Review - The macro-bending loss of multimode step-index helical, s-shaped, and figure-of-eight-shaped optical fibers is investigated by ray-tracing simulation. In particular, fibers with...     

Ultraviolet-induced absorption losses in hydrogen-loaded optical fibers and in presensitized optical fibers

Reduced hydroxyl formation in presensitized fibers exposed to cw 244-nm light after hydrogen outdiffusion is reported. The OH band in the presensitized fiber shifts toward 1390 nm. In the fully hydrogen-loaded fiber the OH band is centered at 1397 nm and does not shift with fluence.     

Bending-induced optical loss in random-hole optical fibers

We present the experimentally determined optical bend loss for random hole optical fibers in the spectral range 1520 to 1570 nm induced by wrapping the optical fiber around a fixed diameter mandrel. The optical losses are compared to those obtained for a single-mode fiber and a multimode fiber using the same bending procedures. The bending induced optical losses in the random hole optical fibers were several orders of magnitude lower than for the single-mode fiber and were about 1 order of magnitude lower than for the multimode fiber.     

Generation of optical vortices in multihelical optical fibers

It is theoretically demonstrated that multihelical fibers are capable to change the topological charge of the incoming field by l units in the transmitted and reflected light. The magnitude of the change in the topological charge coincides with the number of coaxial helicoids forming the fiber core. This can be used in designing generators of optical vortices (OVs) from Gaussian beams: broadband ones in transmitted light and narrowband ones in reflected light.     

Probability of fatigue failure in glass fibers

Abstract

Fracture mechanics provides the background for making long-term failure predictions to assure the mechanical reliability of glass fibers. The fatigue parameters necessary for making these predictions can be obtained from static and dynamic fatigue strength experiments. The failure calculations are best understood by expressing the predictions in terms of a design diagram. The probability of failure in service as well as the proof test stress necessary to ensure a minimum lifetime in service can be obtained from a design diagram.     

Probability of fatigue failure in glass fibers

Fracture mechanics provides the background for making long-term failure predictions to assure the mechanical reliability of glass fibers. The fatigue parameters necessary for making these predictions can be obtained from static and dynamic fatigue strength experiments. The failure calculations are best understood by expressing the predictions in terms of a design diagram. The probability of failure in service as well as the proof test stress necessary to ensure a minimum lifetime in service can be obtained from a design diagram.     

Nonlinear effects in optical fibers

The basic differential equations necessary to represent nonlinear propagation of short and ultrashort optical pulses in dielectric waveguides are derived. After introducing fundamental and higher-order soliton solutions of the nonlinear Schroedinger equations, the possibilities of realizing soliton-based communication systems are discussed. Higher-order nonlinear effects associated with selj-Raman gain and optical amplification in connection with the use of active fibers are also described.     

Short optical solitons in fibers

The dynamics of short (of the order of a few wave periods) intense optical pulses and interaction of short optical solitons in fibers are considered within the framework of the third-order nonlinear Schrodinger equation. It is shown that an initial pulse tends to one or a few short solitons plus a linear quasiperiodic wave when the third-order linear dispersion and nonlinear dispersion have parameters of the same sign. The number and parameters of the solitons depend on the magnitudes of initial pulse parameters. Interaction of short optical solitons having different amplitudes is accompanied by radiation of part of the wave field from the area of interaction, by an increase of the soliton with larger amplitude, and a decrease of the soliton with a smaller one. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics.     

Bend radiation in optical fibers

A new, relatively simple way of calculating bend radiation is developed. As is often done in propagation over gently curved surfaces, the fiber curvature is accounted for by placing a straight fiber in a fictitious medium that is inhomogeneous in the plane of the bend. For a gently curved fiber, the medium is slowly varying and the WKB method is used to approximate the radial field dependence. This solution is related to the unperturbed straight fiber solution through an ansatz consistent with the WKB solution. The propagating modes in this approximation remain orthogonal, allowing an immediate generalization to the multimoded case. The radiation loss per unit length is calculated two ways and is consistent with results in the literature.     

Cavity-enhanced spectroscopy in optical fibers

Cavity-enhanced methods have been extended to fiber optics by use of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) as reflectors. High-finesse fiber cavities were fabricated from FBGs made in both germanium/boron-co-doped photosensitive fiber and hydrogen-loaded Corning SMF-28 fiber. Optical losses in these cavities were determined from the measured Fabry-Perot transmission spectra and cavity ring-down spectroscopy. For a 10-m-long single-mode fiber cavity, ring-down times in excess of 2 ms were observed at 1563.6 nm, and individual laser pulses were resolved. An evanescent-wave access block was produced within a fiber cavity, and an enhanced sensitivity to optical loss was observed as the external medium's refractive index was altered.     

Bend radiation in optical fibers

Abstract

A new, relatively simple way of calculating bend radiation is developed. As is often done in propagation over gently curved surfaces, the fiber curvature is accounted for by placing a straight fiber in a fictitious medium that is inhomogeneous in the plane of the bend. For a gently curved fiber, the medium is slowly varying and the WKB method is used to approximate the radial field dependence. This solution is related to the unperturbed straight fiber solution through an ansatz consistent with the WKB solution. The propagating modes in this approximation remain orthogonal, allowing an immediate generalization to the multimoded case. The radiation loss per unit length is calculated two ways and is consistent with results in the literature.     

Evanescent-wave in perturbed optical fibers

Two adjacent components may express the total electromagnetic fields of an optical fiber. The first one is defined as a summation over bound modes describing the spatial steady state where the light energy is guided along a non-absorbing waveguide. The second component is the radiation field, which describes the spatial transient. Since total internal reflection on a straight fiber is malfunctioned by bending, therefore the evanescent wave which represents the second component has been investigated in a bent single-mode fiber. The decay constant and phase propagation constant of the evanescent field are determined for the first time as a function of curvature at two standard operating wavelengths 1300 and 1550 nm using an interferometric technique.     

Spatial coherence in optical fibers

The spatial degree of coherence on the cross-section of a graded-index optical fiber is evaluated under the assumption that all the propagating modes are uncorrelated among themselves. A detailed example for the case of parabolic fibers is given.     

基于稀土掺杂光纤的强度调制型弯曲传感器

研究了一种基于稀土掺杂材料的新型周期性微拉锥玻璃光纤及其弯曲传感应用技术. 该光纤的纤芯和包层分别由两种硅酸铅玻璃材料组成,具有可塑性好和易于形成微拉锥的特点. 该传感器的核心敏感体由聚焦的CO₂激光束对稀土掺杂光纤进行周期性和等间距加热方式制备. 论文以该敏感体为核心,结合精密位置移动平台和光学测量平台,构建了基于强度调制的弯曲传感测量系统. 理论研究和实验结果表明,这种弯曲传感测量系统的传输光强灵敏度达到-28.2 μW/m,测量误差低于±1%,具备实际的工程应用价值. 关键词： 稀土掺杂光纤 微拉锥 弯曲传感 强度调制