Induced losses in strained loose-tube fiber cables

Measurements of induced losses on primary coated single-mode fibers strained against the inner wall of loose tube cable materials are reported. Fibers have been chosen from current types such as match and depressed clad with mode field diameters (MFD) and cut-off wavelengths spanning the expected range of production tolerances. The loss dependence on MFD and cut-off is characterized, and the combination high MFD/low cut-off turns out to be the most bend sensitive parameter combination while the opposite case with low MFD/high cut-off gives the best performance. Different tube materials provide different bend loss performance depending on the microstructure of the tube and the amount and type of filling jelly.