Glass large-core optical fibers

US8159742B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• IMRA America, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Liang Dong · Ann Arbor, US
• Jun Li · Harrisburg, US
• Hugh McKay · Ann Arbor, US
• Libin Fu · Ann Arbor, US
• Andrius Marcinkevicius · Saline, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 17, 2009
• Grant date: Apr 17, 2012
• Expiry date: Oct 18, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S3/06729
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Embodiments of optical fiber may include cladding features that include a material (e.g., fluorine-doped silica glass) that may produce a very low relative refractive index difference with respect to cladding material in which the cladding features are disposed. This relative refractive index difference may be characterized by (n1−n2)/n1, where n1 is the index of refraction of the cladding material in which the cladding features are included, and n2 is the index of refraction of the cladding features. In certain embodiments, the relative refractive index difference may be less than about 4.5×10−3. In various embodiments, the configuration of the cladding features including, for example, the size and spacing of the cladding features, can be selected to provide for confinement of the fundamental mode yet leakage for the second mode and higher modes, which may provide mode filtering, single mode propagation, and/or low bend loss.