Mode-field characteristics of single-mode fiber designs

Abstract

Single-mode fibers are used in many ways, and a lot of different single-mode fiber designs have been proposed. A single-mode fiber should exhibit low splice losses, low bending losses (both microbending and macrobending), and suitable dispersion characteristics. If, for example, a fiber should be operated at a loss minimum of 1.55 μm, a dispersion-shifted or even a dispersion-flattened fiber is desirable where the zero-dispersion wavelength is shifted to 1.55 μm or where the dispersion is approximately zero in the whole range of 1.3-1.6 μm, respectively. By an appropriate fiber design, some of the above characteristics may be tailored. However, it must be taken into account that they are strongly interrelated.