Optical fiber cables using V-grooved cylindrical units: High performance cables

Some practical and theoretical aspects of a V-grooved cylindrical cable (high performance optical fiber cable) are now being developed in several countries. Design of cables is important, because bendings may cause distortions. In order to limit micro-bending losses in an optical fiber cable, it is possible to modify parameters relating to the fiber or the cable. Some of the possibilities are: to decrease the core diameter in order to decrease the attenuation coefficient; to increase the diameter of the cladding so as to increase the tension above which micro-bendings occur; to increase the continuous bending radius due to cabling; to decrease the effects of roughness (μ); to integrate the effects of roughness as much as possible by decreasing the Young modulus of the coating and of the cable material and by increasing the cladding thickness; and to suppress the tension T of the fiber in the cable. The cabling element is made of a V-grooved cylindrical core, in which the fiber with an outside diameter d_e (outside diameter or primary coating) are laid without tension, with a slight excess length. The slots with a depth h are helical or alternated helical, providing the possibility of additional excess length, and the fiber can be “cabled” directly without stresses. A central strength member with a diameter Dp reinforces the cylindrical rod, ensuring the mechanical and thermal qualities.     

Origin of temperature dependence of microbending attenuation in fiber optic cables

Abstract

Temperature-induced changes in the attenuation of multimode optical fiber cables are shown to be caused by mismatch between the thermal expansion coefficients of the fiber and the cabling materials. A quantitative theoretical model of low temperature loss, based on the formation of fiber microbends by microvariations in the jacket concentricity, is described. This model applies to tightly jacketed, soft buffered cable designs. An equation relating the low temperature optical attenuation to cable parameters is derived using this model. Good agreement is obtained between this theoretical prediction and experimental results. The theoretical model is used to compare the effectiveness of different cable designs on reducing excess loss at low temperature.     

抗弯光纤的理论研究与制造

针对军事上光纤制导等方面的技术要求,从光纤波导的芯层相对折射率差、芯直径、下凹包层等结构参数方面研究了光纤抗弯曲性能,并且研究了光纤内涂层对光纤弯曲性能的影响。通过对光纤弯曲特性的深入研究后,采用PCVD工艺制造了专利技术的抗弯光纤,并测试了相关参数。     

小直径单芯液晶聚合物挤塑光缆抗张强度的影响因素分析

从理论上分析了0.5 mm以下小直径单芯液晶聚合物（LCP）光缆在成型过程中,影响光缆抗张强度的主要因素,这些因素主要包括熔融液晶聚合物的温度特性、模芯和模套的结构参数、模芯与模套之间的距离以及光纤的放线张力及其牵引速度等,介绍了各影响因素与光缆抗张强度之间的相互关系,深入分析了光缆加强层厚度与其抗张强度系数之间的相互关系。实验结果证明:小直径液晶聚合物抗张强度与其加强厚度并不存在理想的线性关系,且在一定直径范围内,小直径液晶聚合物光缆具有相同数值的最大抗张强度。     

Investigation of cladding and coating stripping methods for specialty optical fibers

Fiber optic sensing technology is used extensively in several engineering fields, including smart structures, health and usage monitoring, non-destructive testing, minimum invasive sensing, safety monitoring, and other advanced measurement fields. A general optical fiber consists of a core, cladding, and coating layers. Many sensing principles require that the cladding or coating layer should be removed or modified. In addition, since different sensing systems are needed for different types of optical fibers, it is very important to find and sort out the suitable cladding or coating removal method for a particular fiber. This study focuses on finding the cladding and coating stripping methods for four recent specialty optical fibers, namely: hard polymer-clad fiber, graded-index plastic optical fiber, copper/carbon-coated optical fiber, and aluminum-coated optical fiber. Several methods, including novel laser stripping and conventional chemical and mechanical stripping, were tried to determine the most suitable and efficient technique. Microscopic investigation of the fiber surfaces was used to visually evaluate the mechanical reliability. Optical time domain reflectometric signals of the successful removal cases were investigated to further examine the optical reliability. Based on our results, we describe and summarize the successful and unsuccessful methods.     

大芯径空气包层微结构光纤实现kW级激光传输

kW级高功率激光柔性传输是激光清洗、激光焊接、激光刻蚀等高功率激光加工领域中必备的环节,而实现高功率激光低损耗传输的光纤是其关键器件。目前高功率激光传输光纤采用大芯径传能光纤,仍然存在着弯曲损耗大、柔性差等问题,并且使用过程中要经常维护。华南师范大学特种光纤研究中心提出一种大芯径空气包层微结构光纤,利用包层的空气孔可以极大降低激光泄露的风险,降低光纤制备过程中对耐高温涂敷层的严苛要求,实验结果证实该光纤在室温无制冷条件下可实现kW级激光传输,从而为10 kW级高功率激光柔性传输奠定基础。     

Linear and nonlinear optical properties of carbon nanotube-coated single-mode optical fiber gratings

Single-wall carbon nanotube deposition on the cladding of optical fibers has been carried out to fabricate an all-fiber nonlinear device. Two different nanotube deposition techniques were studied. The first consisted of repeatedly immersing the optical fiber into a nanotube supension, increasing the thickness of the coating in each step. The second deposition involved wrapping a thin film of nanotubes around the optical fiber. For both cases, interaction of transmitted light through the fiber core with the external coating was assisted by the cladding mode resonances of a tilted fiber Bragg grating. Ultrafast nonlinear effects of the nanotube-coated fiber were measured by means of a pump-probe pulses experiment.     

Broadband micro-Michelson interferometer with multi-optical-path beating using a sphered-end hollow fiber

We demonstrate a high-sensitivity broadband (1250-1650 nm) fiber micro-Michelson interferometer using a single-mode fiber end-spliced with a sphered-end hollow-core fiber. The hollow core is slightly smaller than the solid core of a single-mode fiber, so the fractional power of the core mode is converted into cladding modes. The excited cladding modes propagate at distinct optical paths along the hollow-core fiber and have individual foci outside the spherical lens. The reflected core mode, generated at the solid core-air interface, and the reflected cladding modes, generated at external material, interfere with each other to produce beating in the interference signals.     

超细低水峰抗弯损光纤的设计及制作

采用全合成预制棒制造法（VAD＋OVD）和改进的G.652.D光纤拉制法制造光纤.研究了工艺中光纤芯径的大小、第一包层的厚度、芯包折射率差、芯包比等参量与光纤弯曲性能的关系,并据此制作了几种超细低水峰抗弯损光纤.该光纤的裸光纤直径约80 μm,涂覆后成品光纤直径约140 μm,当弯曲半径不小于7.5 mm时,能够在1 260～1 625 nm整个波段内满足DWMD的传输要求.     

Design theory and experiment of acousto-optical tunable filter by use of flexural waves applied to thin optical fiber

Spectral response of acoustically induced microbending through thin optical fiber is discussed from mode-coupling of core and cladding modes. The thin fiber is analyzed in three-layered structure (core-cladding-air) to gain insights into acousto-optic modulation. We explained the dependence of core and/or cladding diameters on acoustic source parameters from numerical calculations. According to the calculations, we successfully fabricated all-optical tunable filter using this thin fiber that yields an efficient mode-coupling at flexural wave frequencies less than 1MHz. To increase the acousto-optic effect, we used a specially designed thin optical fiber (80 μm of cladding diameter) in the section where flexural wave is produced, and spliced both ends of the thin fiber to the tapered 125 μm fibers. The frequency and voltage tuning of fabricated filter is also confirmed by changing the driven frequency and applied voltage of the PZT, respectively. This result suggests a possibility of fiber-optic device application as all-optical tunable filter at 1.55 μm.     

Single-particle subband properties of quantum cables

We proposed a new kind of coupled coaxial cylindrical quantum wires structure - quantum cable, and calculated its single-electron energy subband spectrum for the varying structure parameters, in order to investigate its subband motion in the structure parameter space. It is shown that quantum cable has unique subband spectrum, which differs either from the (solid and hollow) cylindrical quantum wire or from the usual coupled double quantum wires (CDQWs) structure. Aside from the two-fold degeneracy induced by the cylindrical symmetry, crossings (accidental degeneracies) and anticrossings (repulsions) of quantum cable subbands with different azimuthal and radial quantum numbers are observed as one of the cable structure parameters varies. This introduces the dependence of the subband ladder on the structure parameters of the quantum cable structure. However, the subband with the lowest azimuthal and radial quantum numbers remains the lowest subband and never crosses with the other subbands irrespective of the value of structure parameters. As the coupling barrier is broadening (coupling becoming weak), some subbands bundling toward another subband is seen before the extreme isolating limit achieved. Moreover, the separation between neighboring subbands exhibits non-monotonous evolution as one changes the thickness of one of the cylindrical quantum wires, with a minimum existing in the separation between some two adjacent subbands. Interesting optical and transport phenomena arising from these unique subband properties of the quantum cable structure are also predicted. Received 22 March 2000 and Received in final form 6 June 2000     

双包层手性光纤中导模的光功率特性

在对W型阶跃双包层手性光纤进行解析求解的基础上,对几个低阶导模的功率特性进行了仔细的研究.对典型的内包层厚度,计算了几个低阶模留在纤芯中的光功率随纤芯和内外包层的手性参数的变化关系曲线,讨论了纤芯和内外包层的手性参量以及内包层厚度对不同符号模式的功率特性的影响.内包层厚度越大,功率越被限制在纤芯中.随着纤芯中手性参量的增大, HE－11模和HE－21模（HE01模）限制在纤芯中的光功率缓慢增加,而HE11模和HE21模（HE02模）限制在纤芯中的光功率则逐渐减小.包层手性参量的作用正好与此相反.     

Particle size effect on porous Sol–Gel doped cladding U-shaped optical fiber critical micelle concentration (CMC) sensor

In this paper, a sol–gel derived coating U-shaped optical fiber sensors for measurement of critical micelle concentration of surfactants has been studied. The doped sol–gel cladding fiber was used to construct an active cladding U-shaped optical fiber CMC measurement sensor. The porous sol–gel film was deposited a 1000 m core plastic clad silica fiber after removing the cladding of the fiber at the middle portion nearly 6 cm and bending in U-shaped design. CMC detection is based on an adsorption effect in sample solution of sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate. Three different types of particles size of sol–gel porous cladding were tested in our lab. Test results show that the sensitivity of the small particle size porous sol–gel cladding U-shaped optical fiber in sensing region is higher than that of large particle size sol–gel cladding based U-shaped. PACS 42.81.Bm; 42.81.Pa     

Electro-mechanical behavior of single twisted high-temperature superconducting tape under transverse Lorentz force

In recent years, several cabling methods of high temperature superconducting (HTS) cable have been proposed; e.g., the conductor on a round core cable (CORC), the Roebel assembled coated conductor cable, the helical twisted stacking-tape cable (TSTC) and the twisted-stack slotted core HTS cable (TSSC). These cabling methods allow the high temperature superconducting tapes widely used in the high-field magnets. The single superconducting tape performance under applied loads directly relates to the transport performance of the cable and the choice of the cabling method. In this paper, we investigate the effect of twisting morphology on the electro-mechanical properties of HTS tapes. Particular attention is given to the transverse Lorentz force of a pre-twisted HTS tape. The analytical solution of the deflection of the HTS tape under transverse Lorentz force is derived. Then, the current distribution and AC loss of the tape are calculated by using H-formulation. The effects of twist angle and loading conditions are examined for different HTS tape lengths. The results show that the stiffness resistance ability to Lorentz force of the HTS tape can be increased in several ranges by increasing the twist angle. The twisting structure can also reduce current degradation and AC loss, and thus enhance the transport capacity of HTS tape. This study helps understand the electro-mechanical properties of pre-twisted HTS tapes and provides theoretical reference for the design of novel HTS cable structures.     

A colloidal crystal microstructure fiber: fabrication and characterization

A method of fabricating colloidal crystal microstructured fiber is presented. The proposed structure relies on partial etching of the cladding layer of a single-mode fiber and growth of colloidal photonic crystals inside eroded area. The photonic crystal cylindrical annulus embedded in fiber is characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopy. The optical characterization was analyzed by optical transmission spectroscopy. The measurement results show a about 1550-nm band gap. The results also reveal the possibility of cladding cylindrical fibers with three-dimensional photonic crystals.     

Propagation characteristics of a segmented cladding fiber

We propose a novel optical fiber design that consists of a uniform core and a segmented cladding formed by alternate regions of high and low refractive indices in the azimuthal direction. The structure is analyzed by use of the radial effective-index method, and the propagation characteristics of the structure are studied. The fiber has a highly dispersive cladding and shows characteristics similar to those of photonic-crystal fibers and holey fibers. The novel fiber offers the possibility of single-mode operation over a wide range of wavelengths with a large core diameter.     

制导光纤1550 nm波长微弯损耗成因分析

从制导光纤本征损耗、预制棒制作、光纤拉制、涂覆与挤塑以及成缆工艺等方面分析造成制导光纤1550nm波长微弯损耗的原因。     

Refractive index sensor based on stress-induced long period grating

We proposed a novel refractive index sensor based on a side-polishing fiber to be cascaded with a stress-induced long period fiber grating (LPG), which is created by applying a force to a V-grooved plate on the single mode fiber with micro-bending deformation. When the refractive index (RI) surrounding the side-polishing surface is changed, the LPG-induced cladding mode light could be coupled back to the core mode, so that it will result in the magnitude variation of LPG loss-peak. This property of index sensing based on the stress-induced LPG by monitoring the power-level change may be exploited in chemical sensing and environmental monitoring applications.     

双芯复合格点光子晶体光纤的负色散特性

介绍了一种双芯复合格点负色散光子晶体光纤,其包层是由连续电介质纯硅背景上挖出的两种大小不同的空气孔构成,芯区是由掺锗的高折射率的材料构成。为了实现负色散,还移去了包层中的一圈空气孔。采用频域有限差分法对其负色散特性进行分析表明,通过调整空气孔间距和两种空气孔的尺寸,可以得到不同程度的宽带负色散。当内芯半径取0.95μm,孔间距取2.15μm,大空气孔直径取1.9μm,小空气孔直径取1.1μm时,可在1.55μm处实现宽带负色散,其半峰全宽超过了200 nm。这种光纤的包层中空气孔呈六边形分布,空气孔的尺寸均大于1μm,降低了制作的难度。这种光纤可以用于波分复用光纤通信系统中的宽带色散补偿。     

全光纤干涉式结构中传感模式仿真分析

全光纤干涉式传感结构中包层模场与外界物理量作用,携带被感测信息,因此对包层模的研究是设计制作和提高该类传感器传感性能的关键.利用有限差分光束传播法获得传感光纤不同长度和不同芯径比时传感器对应的光谱,通过傅里叶变换获得其干涉频谱,计算出各主要参与干涉的包层模组的有效折射率,利用色散方程确定对应包层模.理论仿真结果显示,随着传感部分光纤长度增加,参与干涉的包层模式随之增加,并且向高阶模式变化,光谱变得稠密,是多阶包层模干涉的叠加,传感器输出干涉谱的自由光谱范围变小.随着输入光纤与传感光纤芯径比变化,会明显改变纤芯包层功率分布,同时,芯径比增大也会增加参与干涉的包层模种类和阶数.