Design of Optical Fibers for Communications Systems

Publisher Summary It is noted that optical fiber is considered as a key element in Optical Fiber Telecommunications (OFT). Fiber performance must go beyond simple low attenuation and exhibit critical characteristics for supporting the high speeds and long routes on terrestrial and undersea systems. At the same time, it is required that fiber for the metropolitan and access markets must meet demanding price points. For the traditional long-haul market, impairments such as dispersion slope and Polarization Mode Dispersion (PMD) are considered limiting factors. This chapter reviews the design criteria for a variety of fibers of current commercial interest. A variety of new low-cost fiber designs for the emerging metropolitan and access markets has been discussed in the chapter. The network chain, the design of multimode glass, and the plastic fiber for the highly cost-sensitive local area network market are also explored. Furthermore, the chapter summarizes the current research on hollow core and photonic bandgap fiber structures.