Fiber optic cables for undersea communications

Areas for potential use of low-loss optical fibers in undersea communications are discussed, along with constraints that should be satisfied in incorporating these fibers into practical cables. Recent progress in construction of optical cable units with low attenuation, small diameter, low specific gravity, high tensile strength, and extended flexural endurance is described. Design concepts for six undersea optical cables, with a variety of diameters and capabilities, are presented in detail. Guidelines are discussed for the design of such cables. Related operational requirements on the cable, such as power transfer, are examined to show how unconventional approaches can allow advantages of the optical data link to be more fully utilized.     

Recent Progress of Wavelength Division Multiplexing Technology In Tera-bit/s Transoceanic Undersea Cable Systems

Transmission capacity for optical undersea cable systems is growing remarkably and a more than 500-fold increase has been achieved for commercial systems over the past 10 years. The first optical fiber cable in the Pacific Ocean went into service in 1989 and has a capacity of 280 Mbit/s per fiber pair. The emergence of an Erbium-doped fiber amplifier paved the way for a drastic capacity increase for these cables, and large capacity optical amplifier undersea cable systems with 5 Gbit/s per fiber pair were constructed worldwide in 1995-1996. Recent 10 Gbit/s-based wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technologies together with new fibers and new amplifiers have allowed a further increase in capacity up to 160 Gbit/s, and these WDM systems will begin commercial service in both the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean in 2000. Research interest is now being directed towards the development of undersea cable systems with a transmission capacity of 1 Tera-bit/s or more. This paper reviews the key technologies for next generation 160 Gbit/s optical undersea cable systems and recent progress towards Tera-bit/s systems. Dispersion managed soliton transmission for future higher bit rate WDM is also discussed.     

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.     

Fiber optic aerial cables

While conventional cable elements can tolerate strains on the order of 1%, optical fibers cannot. As aerial cables may suffer contraction and elongation from low temperatures and high ice or wind loads, or high temperatures, respectively, proper designs have to provide the cables with length margins within which the fibers are protected against mechanical loads, except for a very limited bending stress. The well-suited loose tube buffer design, the way of calculation, and a list of reference cable plants are presented.     

Fiber optic aerial cables

While conventional cable elements can tolerate strains on the order of 1%, optical fibers cannot. As aerial cables may suffer contraction and elongation from low temperatures and high ice or wind loads, or high temperatures, respectively, proper designs have to provide the cables with length margins within which the fibers are protected against mechanical loads, except for a very limited bending stress. The well-suited loose tube buffer design, the way of calculation, and a list of reference cable plants are presented.     

Fiber optics in japan

Abstract

This paper describes the recent progress in research and development of fiber optics in Japan. A review is presented of recent developments in fiber manufacturing, cabling, and fiber splicing. Experimental results are given for an optical communication system with optoelectronic components. Theoretical analysis and fundamental experiments are not included, nor are research activities in such devices as lasers or in such applications as those in medical fields. Transmission characteristics of optical fibers—in particular loss and pulse spreading—are assessed from the viewpoint of their structures. Various methods of fiber strengthening and structuring cables are described from the viewpoint of mechanical strength. Coupling efficiencies of detachable connectors and methods of permanent fiber splicing are described. Experimental results on optical fiber communication systems are presented and coupling techniques between a light source and an optical fiber are described.     

Dependence of polarization mode dispersion of slotted core NZDF ribbon on cable design and environmental conditions

Non-zero dispersion fiber (NZDF) ribbon cable has recently become a considerable alternative in long-haul high-speed network construction. Since long-distance high-bit rate transmission requires low polarization mode dispersion (PMD), it is very important to know the PMD performance of this type of optical fiber cables. In this paper, we report experimental analysis of effects of the cable design and environmental parameters, in particular ribbon thickness, positions of fibers in the ribbon, flexing and vibration, on PMD performances of several slotted-core fiber ribbon cables. Results show that ribbon thickness and positions of fibers in the ribbon alter the PMD values of NZDF ribbon cables. Also, 23% and 11% PMD variations have been determined in flexing and vibration experiments, respectively. Moreover, it has been observed that vibration amplitude has significant effects and vibration frequency has little effects (14% and 6% variations, respectively) on fiber PMD. Results are important for understanding effects of installation conditions and wind, especially for aerial fibers, on PMD values of cables.     

Aging and Degradation of Optical Fiber Parameters in a 16-Year-Long Period of Usage

ABSTRACT

The first generation of installed optical cables in Eastern Europe has been in use for more than 20 years. This paper analyzes the change of optical fibers from the aspect of aging under the influence of transmitted signals and the aspect of parameter degradation during exploration. The paper provides the answer for how to repair the increased attenuation at 1310 nm. We also proposed the method of solution NG PON access for small remote villages that are situated along the analyzed route.     

Transmission experiments in the 1.2-1.6 μm wavelength region using graded-index optical fiber cables

Optical fiber transmission systems with extremely long repeater spacing are very attractive for various applications both in land and undersea communication systems. This paper describes the results of transmission experiments, using low-loss fibers in the 1.2-1.6 μm wavelength region. Graded-index optical fibers having an optimum profile at 1.27 μm were manufactured in cables. Average bandwidth was 1,275 MHz-km, and the average optical loss was 0.6 dB/km. The 52.6-km and 62.3-km repeater spacings were realized at 100 Mb/s and 32 Mb/s transmission, respectively, using InGaAsP/InP LD and Ge-APD. The 21.5-km and 12.0-km repeater spacings at 32 Mb/s were also realized by 1.2μm and 1.5μm LEDS, respectively.     

Parametric-resonance-induced cable vibrations in network cable-stayed bridges. A continuum approach

There is a wealth of evidence to suggest that the bearing cables of cable-stayed bridges may experience large-amplitude oscillations, attributed in general to parametric resonance with the girder vibrations. A common coutermeasure consists of connecting the principal stays together with secondary cables to form a network and, here, optimal cable arrangments will be discussed when such a network is uniform and triangular meshed. The present approach is qualitative, and basically consists of homogenizing the cable net to an orthotropic elastic membrane, and then considering an auxiliary structure where the bridge girder, instead of being supported by the cable network, is supported by wedge-shaped membranes. The elastic solution under uniformly distributed loads, found using Lekhnitskii's approach, is the starting point for the discussion of the system in dynamic equilibrium. Having established a correspondence between the cable-net size and shape and the elastic moduli of the homogenized membrane, simple formulas are obtained to describe the global bridge vibration, as well as the local oscillations of the cables. It is then possible to estimate the girder and cable-net characteristic frequencies, to evaluate those conditions possibly leading to parametric resonance and, with respect to these variables, to determine optimal cable arrangements. This method is finally applied to the paradigmatic example of the Normandy Bridge.     

Determination of thermal residual strain in cabled optical fiber with high spatial resolution by Brillouin optical time-domain reflectometry

The thermal residual strain induced in the cabled optical fiber is a very important factor for evaluating the reliability of optical fiber cables. In order to determine the distributed thermal residual strain in cabled optical fiber, a measurement method based on Brillouin optical time-domain reflectometry (BOTDR) system is proposed in the article. Thermal characteristics of residual strain along cabled optical fibers are investigated theoretically and experimentally based on Brillouin frequency shift (BFS) detection. The thermal residual strain along the cabled fiber, if any, can be determined with a high spatial resolution that is equal to that of the BOTDR system and can be less than a few meters. A double-coated fiber in loose optical cable was used as the test cabled optical fiber, and the experimental results were in good agreement with those predicted from the theory. It has been found that the fiber residual strain increases linearly with decreasing temperature in the range from 50 to ?50 °C.     

A review of biconical taper couplers

Abstract

An optical coupler distributes light from a main fiber to one or more branch fibers. Optical signals can also be passed bidirectionally along a single fiber [1]. Usually couplers are passive devices which are attached to other components in a system by means of optical fiber connectors, or may be joined to them by splicing. Several basic coupler designs have been discussed in the literature, each having some advantages and disadvantages. The biconical taper coupler [2] consists of two fibers that are fused and subsequently tapered. These fibers may have step or graded index profiles. Beam-splitter types [3] (consisting of discrete components) are generally expensive. Mixing rods are simple and can be ruggedly constructed, but an extra 3dB loss above packing fraction loss is incurred when used with graded index fibers [4].     

Properties of silver halide core-clad fibers and the use of fiber bundle for thermal imaging

Abstract

Optical infrared (IR) fibers with core-clad structure are of great importance because they have better qualities than unclad fibers for most IR fiber applications, especially in CO₂ laser power delivery and radiometry. We have fabricated core-clad polycrystalline silver halide optical fibers with different compositions and core diameters, and although their loss is still higher than that of unclad fibers, they already have many advantages and new capabilities. The behavior of the scattering loss along these fibers and other optical properties was measured and compared with that of unclad silver halide fibers. We show that the higher loss of clad fibers results mainly from excessive scattering. The improvement in the process of fabricating clad fibers enabled the production of new elements such as single-mode fibers (SMFs) and fiber bundles for thermal imaging.     

Jelly-filled optical cable

Abstract

Jelly-filled optical fiber cables have been investigated. The waterproof characteristics and transmission and mechanical properties of the fabricated jelly-filled cables, including temperature and aging characteristics, were sufficient to apply them for practical use.     

Requirements for Efficient Raman Amplification and Dispersion Compensation Using Microstructured Optical Fibers

Abstract

The design and performance of microstructured optical fibers (MOFs) for simultaneous dispersion compensation and Raman amplification is numerically investigated. We studied a lumped Raman amplifier designed to compensate the signal loss and dispersion introduced by a 100-km, 16-channel C-band WDM link. The impairments induced by the nonlinearities caused by the small mode area of the designed MOF are investigated and the analysis is extended to include non-ideal factors such as excess background losses, splice loss, and the geometry variations during the fabrication process. The results are discussed and compared to those obtained for conventional dispersion compensating fibers (DCFs).     

Numerical Investigation on Performance of In-Building Plastic Optical Fiber Transmission Systems and Role of Digital Television Broadcasting

Abstract

This article reports a numerical investigation on the transmission performance of multilevel systems operating in building links encompassing step-index plastic optical fibers. For such an aim, a simplified model for the multimode fiber propagation is introduced. A sub-carrier multiplexing technique is also simulated to demonstrate the distribution of broadcasting television channels by adopting such fibers. The reported results show that a unique building network based on step-index plastic optical fibers is suitable to carry both Ethernet and broadcast TV signals in all rooms.     

中小跨距架空光缆的抗拉材料截面的计算

在不同的气象与架空条件下,对不同结构的自承式架空光缆进行了力学性能分析,计算了光缆的相对伸长量与增强层厚度的关系曲线,其结果对架空光缆的优化设计与生产有重要的指导意义.     

The Design of Hermetically Double-Coated Optical Fibers to Minimize Hydrostatic Pressure–Induced Stresses

The design of hermetically double-coated optical fibers to minimize hydrostatic pressure–induced stresses is investigated. Several stresses are important in the hermetically double-coated optical fibers, and they would produce the excess bending losses or the failure of hermetic coatings. These stresses can be minimized by appropriately selecting material's properties of hermetic coatings and their thicknesses. The hydrostatic pressure–induced stresses in optical fibers with some selected metallic coatings are also considered. The results show that chromium has the best performance in the minimization of hydrostatic pressure–induced stresses. However, lead and indium are poor materials.     

Effect of Launching Condition on Modal Power Characteristics of Multi-Mode Step-Index Optical Fiber: A Theoretical and Experimental Investigation

Abstract

This article investigates optical power transmission characteristics with varying launching conditions concentrating on weakly guiding, step-index highly multi-moded optical fibers. A single analytical expression for the fractional power transmitted per mode in a highly multi-moded fiber is obtained. This expression is used to numerically obtain the fractional power per mode, power per modal order, and finally, the total power carried by the fiber. Experiments are carried out to investigate the effect of launching conditions on the total power carried by the fiber and to establish a possible correlation with the theoretical results. Reasons for the observed experimental discrepancies are also discussed.

     

Determination of the axial force on stay cables accounting for their bending stiffness and rotational end restraints by free vibration tests

Determination of the axial force in terms of its natural frequencies may be significantly influenced by the bending stiffness of the cable and the rotational elastic restraints at the ends, depending on the geometrical and mechanical parameters of the cable and its supports and restraints, particularly in cement-grouted parallel-bundle wire cables. The paper presents an explicit analytical expression for the natural frequencies taking into account both the bending stiffness of the cable and the rotational restraint at the ends that may be used to determine the axial force. While the bending stiffness of the cable and the axial force are selected as variables to attain an optimal match between analytical and experimental data, the rotational stiffness at the ends is treated as a known parameter in that process. The degree of rotational restraint at the ends cannot be accurately inferred from the sequence of the experimentally determined natural frequencies, since this parameter does not appreciably affect the progression of their values. Techniques are discussed that allow approximate determination of the rotational stiffness at the ends for the most common arrangements of anchors and cables with, and without, intermediate supports provided by deviators located near the ends. The axial force and the bending stiffness of the cable are both simultaneously adjusted by matching the natural frequencies of the analytical model with the experimental values. The proposed approach leads to a reduction of the error in the estimation of the axial force for short cables with relatively high bending stiffness such as those typical of cement-grouted parallel-bundle wire cables often used as cable stays for bridges until the early 1990s.