An illumination system generating light having at least one wavelength within 200 nm a plurality of nano-sized structures (e.g., voids). The optical fiber coupled to the light source. The light diffusing optical fiber has a core and a cladding. The plurality of nano-sized structures is situated either within said core or at a core-cladding boundary. The optical fiber also includes an outer surface. The optical fiber is configured to scatter guided light via the nano-sized structures away from the core and through the outer surface, to form a light-source fiber portion having a length that emits substantially uniform radiation over its length, said fiber having a scattering-induced attenuation greater than 50 dB/km for the wavelength(s) within 200 nm to 2000 nm range.

A light source unit generates an optical signal out of a bend-insensitive (“BI”) optical fiber that is compliant with a desired encircled flux (“EF”). The unit includes a light source to generate an optical light signal and a conventional multimode optical fiber coupled to receive the optical light signal from the light source at a first end. A modal conditioner is arranged to condition the optical light signal propagating along different modes of the conventional multimode fiber. A first bend-insensitive (BI) multimode optical fiber has an input end, the input end of the first BI multimode optical fiber being coupled at a second end of the conventional multimode optical fiber to receive the conditioned optical light signal from the conventional multimode fiber. The output from the first BI multimode optical fiber outputs an optical signal having the desired EF.

A light source unit generates an optical signal out of a bend-insensitive (“BI”) optical fiber that is compliant with a desired encircled flux (“EF”). The unit includes a light source to generate an optical light signal and a conventional multimode optical fiber coupled to receive the optical light signal from the light source at a first end. A modal conditioner is arranged to condition the optical light signal propagating along different modes of the conventional multimode fiber. A first bend-insensitive (BI) multimode optical fiber has an input end, the input end of the first BI multimode optical fiber being coupled at a second end of the conventional multimode optical fiber to receive the conditioned optical light signal from the conventional multimode fiber. The output from the first BI multimode optical fiber outputs an optical signal having the desired EF.

A multicore optical fiber comprises a common cladding and a plurality of core portions disposed in the common cladding. Each of the core portions includes a central axis, a core region extending from the central axis to a radius r.sub.1, the core region comprising a relative refractive index Δ.sub.1, an inner cladding region extending from the radius r.sub.1 to a radius r.sub.2, the inner cladding region comprising a relative refractive index Δ.sub.2, and a depressed cladding extending from the radius r.sub.2 to a radius r.sub.3, the depressed cladding region comprising a relative refractive index Δ.sub.3 and a minimum relative refractive index Δ.sub.3 min. The relative refractive indexes may satisfy Δ.sub.1>Δ.sub.2>Δ.sub.3 min. The mode field diameter of each core portion may greater than or equal to 8.2 μm and less than or equal to 9.5 μm.

An optical fiber includes a core, an inner cladding surrounding the core, and an outer cladding surrounding the inner cladding. A mean relative refractive index difference Δ1 of the core, a mean relative refractive index difference Δ2 of the inner cladding, and a mean relative refractive index difference Δ3 of the outer cladding satisfy a relationship of Δ1>Δ3≥Δ2. A ratio r2/r1 of an inner cladding radius r2 to a core radius r1 is 4.5 or higher and 5.5 or lower. A minimum value Δmin of a relative refractive index difference is −0.030% or higher and −0.010% or lower. A radius rmin at which the relative refractive index difference is the minimum value Δmin satisfies a relationship of r1<rmin<r2. (Δmin−Δ(r1))/(rmin−r1) is −0.002%/μm or lower, where Δ(r1) denotes the relative refractive index difference with the core radius r1.

Multicore optical fibers with low bend loss, low cross-talk, and large mode field diameters In some embodiments a circular multicore optical fiber includes a glass matrix; at least 3 cores arranged within the glass matrix, wherein any two cores have a core center to core center spacing of less than 29 microns; and a plurality of trench layers positioned between a corresponding core and the glass matrix, each trench layer having an outer radius of less than or equal to 14 microns and a trench volume of greater than 50% Δ micron.sup.2; wherein the optical fiber has a mode field diameter of greater than about 8.2 microns at 1310 nm, and wherein the optical fiber has an outer diameter of less than about 130 microns.

The present disclosure provides an optical fibre (100). The optical fibre (100) includes a glass core region (102). The glass core region (102) has a core relative refractive index profile. The core relative refractive index profile is a super Gaussian profile. In addition, the optical fibre (100) includes a glass cladding region (108) over the glass core region (102). The optical fibre (100) has at least one of a mode field diameter in a range of 8.7 micrometers to 9.7 micrometers at wavelength of 1310 nanometers and an attenuation up to 0.18 dB/km. The optical fibre (100) has at least one of macro-bend loss up to 0.5 decibel per turn corresponding to wavelength of 1550 nanometer at bending radius of 7.5 millimeter. The optical fibre (100) has a macro-bend loss up to 1.0 decibel per turn corresponding to wavelength of 1625 nanometer at bending radius of 7.5 millimeter.

A co-doped optical fiber is provided having an attenuation of less than about 0.17 dB/km at a wavelength of 1550 nm. The fiber includes a core region in the fiber having a graded refractive index profile with an alpha of greater than 5. The fiber also includes a first cladding region in the fiber that surrounds the core region. Further, the core region has a relative refractive index of about −0.10% to about +0.05% compared to pure silica. In addition, the core region includes silica that is co-doped with chlorine at about 1.2% or greater by weight and fluorine between about 0.1% and about 1% by weight.

A multi-purpose optical fiber with coating is provided. The optical fiber can function as a transmission fiber or as a coupling fiber for optical data links that features low coupling loss to silicon photonics lasers, VCSELs, single mode transmission fibers, multimode transmission fibers, and high speed receivers. The fiber includes a core, an optional inner cladding region, a depressed index cladding region, an outer cladding region, and a coating. The relative refractive index profile of the coupling fiber includes a small-radius core region with α profile and a depressed index cladding region that facilitates low bending loss and high bandwidth. The coating thickness and overall diameter of the fiber is small.

Optical waveguide cores having refractive index profiles that vary angularly about a propagation axis of the core can provide single-mode operation with larger core diameters than conventional waveguides. In one representative embodiment, an optical waveguide comprises a core that extends along a propagation axis and has a refractive index profile that varies angularly about the propagation axis. The optical waveguide can also comprise a cladding disposed about the core and extending along the propagation axis. The refractive index profile of the core can vary angularly along a length of the propagation axis.