An optical fiber includes: a center core; an inner ring layer, located outside of the center core in a radial direction, that has a refractive index lower than a refractive index of the center core; an outer core, located outside of the inner ring layer in the radial direction, that has a refractive index higher than the refractive index of the inner ring layer; and an outer ring layer, located outside of the outer core in the radial direction, that has a refractive index lower than the refractive index of the outer core. A relative refractive index difference Δ.sub.CF between the center core and the inner ring layer varies along a longitudinal direction such that the relative refractive index difference Δ.sub.CF at a location along the longitudinal direction is smaller than a relative refractive index difference Δ.sub.PF between the outer core and the outer ring layer.

The invention is related to devices that couple light into and out of concentric multicore fibers (MCFs). One embodiment of the invention is directed to a multiplexing/demultiplexing coupler, formed using at least two diffractive optical elements, so that light from one of the cores of the concentric MCF exits the coupler along a first axis and the light from another of the cores of the MCF exits coupler along another axis displaced form the first axis. In another embodiment, an add/drop filter includes at least one diffractive optical element, and directs light from one core of the concentric MCF to one fiber and light from one or more other cores of the concentric MCF to another fiber. In another embodiment, a mixing coupler transmits light from inner and outer cores of a first concentric MCF respectively to outer and inner cores of a second concentric MCF.

Optical transmission systems and methods are disclosed that utilize a QSM optical fiber with a large effective area and that supports only two modes, namely the fundamental mode and one higher-order mode. The optical transmission system includes a transmitter and a receiver optically coupled by an optical fiber link that includes at least one section of the QSM optical fiber. Transmission over optical fiber link gives rise to MPI, which is mitigated using a digital signal processor. The QSM optical fiber is designed to have an amount of DMA that allows for the digital signal processor to have reduced complexity as reflected by a reduced number of filter taps as compared to if the DMA were zero.

In an optical fiber, a plurality of individual cores extend through a common cladding. Each individual core supports at least one local transverse spatial mode. The individual cores and surrounding cladding are structured to support propagation of plurality of desired signal-carrying modes, while suppressing undesired modes, thereby supporting the propagation of one or more spatially multiplexed signals. The core-to-core spacing of the fiber is configured to maintain an acceptably low level of mode-coupling between cores.

A low-dispersion single-mode fiber includes a core and claddings covering the core. The core layer has a radius in a range of 3-5 μm and a relative refractive index difference in a range of 0.15% to 0.45%. The claddings comprise a first depressed cladding, a raised cladding, a second depressed cladding, and an outer cladding arranged sequentially from inside to outside. The first depressed cladding has a unilateral width in a range of 2-7 μm and a relative refractive index difference in a range of −0.4% to 0.03%. The raised cladding has a unilateral width in a range of 2-7 μm and a relative refractive index difference in a range of 0.05% to 0.20%. The second depressed cladding has a unilateral width in a range of 0-8 μm and a relative refractive index difference in a range of 0% to −0.2%. The outer cladding is formed of pure silicon dioxide glass.

The invention concerns a multimode optical fiber, with a graded-index core co-doped with at least fluorine F and germanium GeO.sub.2 and a refractive index profile with at least two α-values. According to the invention, the concentration of fluorine F at the core center ([F].sub.r=0) is between 0 and 3 wt % and the concentration of fluorine F at the core outer radius ([F].sub.r=α) is between 0.5 wt % and 5.5 wt %, with [F].sub.r=α−[F].sub.r=0>0.4 wt %. For wavelengths comprised between 850 nm and 1100 nm, said multimode optical fiber has an overfilled launch bandwidth (OFL-BW) greater than 3500 MHz.Math.km and a calculated effective modal bandwidth (EMBc) greater than 4700 MHz.Math.km over a continuous operating wavelength range greater than 150 nm.

A low-dispersion single-mode fiber includes a core and claddings covering the core. The core layer has a radius in a range of 3-5 μm and a relative refractive index difference in a range of 0.15% to 0.45%. The claddings comprise a first depressed cladding, a raised cladding, a second depressed cladding, and an outer cladding arranged sequentially from inside to outside. The first depressed cladding has a unilateral width in a range of 2-7 μm and a relative refractive index difference in a range of −0.4% to 0.03%. The raised cladding has a unilateral width in a range of 2-7 μm and a relative refractive index difference in a range of 0.05% to 0.20%. The second depressed cladding has a unilateral width in a range of 0-8 μm and a relative refractive index difference in a range of 0% to −0.2%. The outer cladding is formed of pure silicon dioxide glass.

A low-dispersion single-mode optical fiber includes a core and a cladding covering the core. The core has a relative refractive index difference of 0.30-0.65% and a radius of 2.5-4.5 μm. The cladding layer including first, second, third cladding layers and an outer cladding arranged sequentially from inside to outside. The first cladding layer covers the core, and has a relative refractive index difference of −0.70% to −0.30% and a radius of 4.5-7.5 μm. The second cladding layer covers the first cladding layer, and has a relative refractive index difference of −0.20% to 0.25% and a radius of 7.0-12.0 μm. The third cladding layer covers the second cladding layer, and has a relative refractive index difference of −0.60% to 0.00% and a radius of 10.0-20.0 μm. The outer cladding covers the third cladding layer, and is a layer made of pure silicon dioxide glass.

A low-dispersion single-mode optical fiber includes a core and claddings covering the core. The core has a relative refractive index difference of 0.30-0.65% and a radius of 2.5-4.5 μm. The claddings include first, second, third cladding layers and an outer cladding arranged sequentially from inside to outside. The first cladding layer covers the core, and has a relative refractive index difference of −0.70% to −0.30% and a radius of 4.5-7.5 μm. The second cladding layer covers the first cladding layer, and has a relative refractive index difference of −0.20% to −0.25% and a radius of 7.0-12.0 μm. The third cladding layer covers the second cladding layer, and has a relative refractive index difference of −0.60% to 0.00% and a radius of 10.0-20.0 μm. The outer cladding covers the third cladding layer, and is a layer made of pure silicon dioxide glass.

The invention concerns an apparatus and its use for laser processing. The invention also concerns a method and an optical component. According to the invention, at a first laser device, providing a first optical feed fiber and a second laser device providing a second optical feed fiber is provided. A beam combining means connected to the first and second feed fibers and to a multi-core optical fiber is adapted to form a composite laser beam by having the first optical feed fiber aligned with a first core of the multi-core optical fiber and the second optical feed fiber aligned with at least one second core of the multi-core optical fiber. The first and second cores outputs a composite laser beam to a workpiece to be processed. A control unit controls power density of at least one of first and second laser beams of the composite laser beam in at least one of: in response to approaching a change point in direction of cutting progression and to cause change in relation between the power density of the first output laser beam and power density of the second output laser beam in accordance with thickness of the workpiece being cut.