Reduced four-wave mixing optical fiber for wavelength-division multiplexing

Abstract

An optical fiber includes a core for guiding light of a specified range of wavelengths therethrough, each wavelength in the specified range of wavelengths traveling through the core at a particular group velocity and the light potentially producing a nonlinear optical effect. The optical fiber also includes a cladding formed around the core for substantially containing the light within the core. The optical fiber further includes a predetermined amount of at least one dopant uniformly dispersed throughout the core such that no two distinct wavelengths in the specified range of wavelengths travel through the core at the same, particular group velocity, thereby causing the nonlinear optical effect to be suppressed.

1 . An optical fiber comprising: 
 a core for guiding light of a specified range of wavelengths therethrough, said light traveling through said optical fiber with a first power and potentially producing a nonlinear optical effect at said first power;    a cladding formed around the core fore substantially containing the light within the core, said core and cladding being configured such that using only said core and said cladding in said optical fiber provides a first probability of said light producing said nonlinear optical effect at said first power; and    a predetermined amount of at least one dopant uniformly dispersed throughout the core such that with said dopant, said optical fiber provides a second probability not greater than said first probability of said light producing said nonlinear optical effect at a given second power, wherein said second power is greater than said first power.    
   
   
       2 . The optical fiber of  claim 1  wherein said second power enables longer range transmission of said range of wavelengths.  
   
   
       3 . The optical fiber of  claim 1  wherein said second power enables a reduction in the bit error rate.  
   
   
       4 . The optical fiber of  claim 1  wherein said nonlinear optical effect is four-wave mixing.  
   
   
       5 . The optical fiber of  claim 1  wherein said core is formed of SiO 2 .  
   
   
       6 . The optical fiber of  claim 5  wherein said dopant is P 2 O 5 .  
   
   
       7 . The optical fiber of  claim 5  wherein said dopant is GeO2.  
   
   
       8 . A method for reducing the nonlinear optical effects in an optical fiber, said optical fiber including a core for guiding light of a specified range of wavelengths therethrough, each wavelength in said specified range of wavelengths traveling through said optical fiber with a first power and potentially producing a nonlinear optical effect at said first power, said optical fiber further including a cladding formed around the core for substantially containing the light within the core, said core and cladding being configured such that using only said core and said cladding in said optical fiber provides a first probability of said light producing said nonlinear optical effect at said first power, said method comprising: 
 dispersing a predetermined amount of at least one dopant uniformly dispersed throughout the core such that, with said dopant, said optical fiber provides a second probability of said light producing said nonlinear optical effect at a second power, wherein said second power is greater than said first power and said second probability is not greater than said first probability.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 5  wherein said second power enables longer range transmission of said range of wavelengths.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 5  wherein said second power enables a reduction in the bit error rate.