Recent Progress in Glass Fibers for Optical Communication

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Abstract
Since the first announcement of low-loss fiber by Corning Glass Works in 1970, remarkable progress has been made in glass fibers for optical communication both in fabrication techniques and in fiber transmission characteristics. Various fabrication methods have been proposed and examined; the outside vapor-phase oxidation (OVPO) method, the modified chemical vapor deposition (MCVD) method, and the vapor-phase axial deposition (VAD) method, to name typical examples. These processes have enabled us to obtain graded-index multi-mode fibers with low loss and broad bandwidth, as well as low-loss single-mode fibers. In particular, the development of low transmission-loss fibers in the long-wavelength band opened up a new low-loss window in the wavelength bands of 1.3 µm and 1.55 µm. This review paper describes recent progress in the fabrication methods and transmission characteristics of optical fibers, together with future trends and items for research in the field of optical communications.