Felix P. Kapron

Birefringence in dielectric optical waveguides

The linear and circular birefringent properties of low-loss single-mode glass fibers are found to depend upon length. Depolarization is about 1 percent/km. Some anomalous behavior can be explained in terms of properties varying locally along the fiber and a resultant upper information rate of over 1012bits/s is estimated. Very small stress distributions or core ellipticities could give rise to the observed effects.

Geometrical Optics of Parabolic Index-Gradient Cylindrical Lenses

The first-order imaging properties of dielectric rods with refractive index decreasing quadratically with distance from the axis are analyzed from the viewpoint of gaussian ray optics. Cardinal-point locations vary with rod length, but the usual object–image relationships are then still applicable. Several ray diagrams are shown; one of the examples is a contact magnifier.

Dispersion-slope parameter for monomode fiber bandwidth

Current single-mode communications systems generally use lasers with pulsed spectral widths of less than a few nanometers centered near the zero-dispersion wavelength λ0 of the overall fiber link. However, there is some uncertainly concerning the information-carrying capacity of these links. In this paper we show that three fiber and laser parameters are sufficient for a reasonably accurate estimate of the monomode link bandwidth.

Update on optical component reliability and testing requirements

Optical component reliability, as underway in international standards, is reviewed. In optical communications, the reliability functions of fiber and optoelectronic semiconductor transceivers, has been extensively studied and modeled for some time. The mechanisms causing failure for these are relatively well known. The mechanisms in other items such as passive optical components, optical amplifiers, or dynamic components (that are optically passive but electrically active) are not nearly as well understood.