The present invention relates to an ultra-low loss optical fiber for long haul communications (100) comprising a core region (102) defined by a core relative refractive index and a cladding region surrounding the core region, defined by a cladding relative refractive index. In particular, the core region comprises a relative refractive index in a range of −0.06% to +0.06% and the cladding region is down-doped for entire radial cladding thickness. Moreover, the cladding region further comprises an inner cladding region (104) defined by an inner cladding relative refractive index and an outer cladding region (106) defined by an outer cladding relative refractive index. The inner cladding relative refractive index is less than the outer cladding relative refractive index.

A method of processing by controlling one or more beam characteristics of an optical beam may include: launching the optical beam into a first length of fiber having a first refractive-index profile (RIP); coupling the optical beam from the first length of fiber into a second length of fiber having a second RIP and one or more confinement regions; modifying the one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam in the first length of fiber, in the second length of fiber, or in the first and second lengths of fiber; confining the modified one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam within the one or more confinement regions of the second length of fiber; and/or generating an output beam, having the modified one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam, from the second length of fiber. The first RIP may differ from the second RIP.

A quasi-single-mode optical fiber with a large effective area is disclosed. The quasi-single-mode fiber has a core with a radius greater than 5 μm, and a cladding section configured to support a fundamental mode and a higher-order mode. The fundamental mode has an effective area greater than 170 μm.sup.2 and an attenuation of no greater than 0.17 dB/km at a wavelength of 1530 nm. The higher-order mode has an attenuation of at least 1.0 dB/km at the wavelength of 1530 nm. The quasi-single-mode optical fiber has a bending loss of less than 0.02 dB/turn for a bend diameter of 60 mm for a wavelength of 1625 nm.

A method is provided that includes: forming a low-index trench region with a first density; forming an inner barrier layer comprising silica around the trench region at a second density greater than the first density; depositing silica-based soot around the first barrier layer to form an overclad region at a third density less than the second density; inserting a core cane into a trench-overclad structure; forming an outer barrier layer comprising silica in an outer portion of the overclad region at a fourth density greater than the third density; flowing a down dopant-containing gas through the trench-overclad structure to dope the trench region with the down dopant, and wherein the barrier layers mitigate diffusion of the down-dopant into the overclad region; and consolidating the trench-overclad and the core cane.

An optical fiber including a multimode core having a radius, R.sub.1, and a maximum relative refractive index, Δ.sub.1MAX, at a wavelength λ.sub.0, an inner clad layer surrounding the core and having a radial thickness, T.sub.2, and a minimum relative refractive index, Δ.sub.2MIN, of about 0.0% at a wavelength of λ.sub.0, an intermediate clad layer surrounding the inner clad layer and having a radial thickness, T.sub.3, and a maximum relative refractive index Δ.sub.3MAX and an outer clad layer surrounding the inner clad layer and having a radial thickness, T.sub.4, and a maximum relative refractive index, Δ.sub.4MIN, at a wavelength of λ.sub.0. The optical fiber satisfies the following relationship: Δ.sub.1MAX>Δ.sub.3MAX>Δ.sub.2MIN, and the optical fiber exhibits an overfilled bandwidth of greater than or equal to about 1.5 GHz-km at λ.sub.0.

A method of spectrally multiplexing diode pump modules to increase brightness includes generating one or more pump beams from respective diode lasers at a first wavelength in a diode laser package, generating one or more pump beams from respective diode lasers at a second wavelength different from the first wavelength in the diode laser package, wavelength combining at least one of the pump beams at the first wavelength with at least one of the pump beams at the second wavelength to form one or more combined pump beams, and receiving the combined pump beams in a pump fiber coupled to the diode laser package. Laser systems can include multi-wavelength pump modules and a gain fiber having a core actively doped so as to have an absorption spectrum corresponding to the multiple wavelength, the gain fiber situated to receive the pump light and to produce an output beam at an output wavelength.

There is provided a multi-clad fiber assembly for reducing and eliminating deleterious laser-contaminant interrelations, and methods of making these assemblies. There is provided an optical connector having contaminants that are shielded from causing detrimental thermal effects, during laser beam transmittion, by preventing laser-contaminant interactions.

A laser processing apparatus includes a process laser light source, a first optical system, a pulse laser light source, a second optical system, and an optical detection portion. The process laser light source generates a process laser beam having a continuous energy density during a certain period of time. The first optical system directs the process laser beam to a surface of a workpiece. The pulse laser light source generates a pulse laser beam having an energy density with a peak value that is higher than the energy density of the process laser beam. The second optical system directs the pulse laser beam to a process portion of the workpiece. The optical detection portion detects plasma light produced at the process portion of the workpiece.

An example of an optical fiber includes an attenuating cladding disposed around a first waveguide (e.g., a core) and a waveguide (e.g., a waveguide cladding) disposed around the attenuating cladding. An attenuating cladding may be a doped layer that may be doped with, for example, a dopant comprising metal. A first waveguide and a second waveguide may each transmit light for a distinct sample characterization technique. An example of an optical fiber includes a core, a first intermediate cladding disposed around the core, an attenuating cladding disposed around the first intermediate cladding, an attenuating cladding disposed around the first intermediate cladding, a second intermediate cladding disposed around the attenuating cladding, a waveguide cladding disposed around the second intermediate cladding, and outer cladding disposed around the waveguide cladding, and an outer coating around the outer cladding. An optical fiber may be formed using a rod-in-tube process.

The present invention relates to an optical fiber with improved bend performance and manufacturing method thereof. The optical fiber (100) comprises a core region (108) defined by a core refractive index profile (200) and a cladding region (106) surrounding the core region defined by a cladding refractive index profile (400). Particularly, the core region has a first core (102) defined by a first core refractive index (RI) profile (202) and a first core RI max (Δpeak) and a second core (104) defined by a second core RI profile (204) and a second core RI max (Δcore). Moreover, the cladding region further comprises a first cladding (106) and a third cladding (110) composed of pure silica and a second cladding (108) composed of a down-doped silica, where the down-dopant is fluorine.