Dispersion-flattened single-mode fibers prepared with PCVD: Performance, limitations, design optimization

The first test on the reproducibility of the preparation of dispersion-flattened single-mode (DFSM) fibers is reported in this paper. Dispersion of less than 2 ps/(nm . km) between 1.32 and 1.6μm was achieved for a set of 15 fibers (31 km), with identical diameter prepared by means of the low pressure plasma-induced chemical vapor deposition (PVCD) process. Investigations on the influence of the substrate tube geometry, the "rod-in-tube" technique, and refractive index distortions on dispersion are presented. CAD optimized index profiles are discussed.