NTT Photonics Laboratories Unveils Newly Developed Dual-Mode Optical Fiber

Anaheim, CA — NTT Photonics recently unveiled a new optical fiber solution that functions as both multi-mode and single-mode optical fiber, eliminating the need for expensive upgrades and reducing fiber management and ownership costs. NTT previewed its Dual-Mode Fiber (DMF) at the Optical Fiber Communications Conference.

Up until now, businesses have had to choose between single-mode or multi-mode optical fiber for their data transmission and data center needs. However, the dramatic growth in higher-bandwidth connections and transmissions for voice, data, and video from both business and consumers has caused many cable providers, carriers, and data centers to exceed the capacity of their multi-mode optical fiber. As a result, many have had to invest in major system upgrades to the faster, more expensive, single-mode optical fiber system in order to support escalating demands.

NTT's Dual-Mode Fiber eliminates the need for expensive system upgrades by functioning as both multi-mode fiber and single-mode fiber. At the outset, when businesses transmission demands are low, Dual-Mode Fiber can be installed and used as multi-mode fiber at a lower cost than a single-mode fiber system. When demand increases, Dual-Mode Fiber seamlessly transitions to functioning as single-mode fiber, without a complicated and time-consuming fiber-reinstallation upgrade.

The Dual-Mode solution can also be used where multi-mode fiber has already been installed. The coexistence of both multi-mode and single-mode optical fiber leads to increasing fiber management and ownership costs as the system grows. Each fiber must be utilized for specific functions and as the system grows and becomes more complicated, additional resources are required to manage the connections properly and avoid misuse. Dual-Mode Fiber is compatible with and easily interconnected with both multi-mode and single-mode fiber, with low optical connection loss to either type, reducing management and ownership costs and eliminating misuse.

"Dual-Mode Fiber is a unique solution within the marketplace. It provides a highly adaptable, lower cost optical fiber solution for emerging companies who anticipate rapid growth of their data transmission needs," said Dr. Hiromasa Tanobe, Senior Research Engineer, NTT Photonics Labs. "The solution also allows existing companies to simplify their fiber management process as they grow, significantly lowering cost of ownership."

NTT's Dual-Mode Fiber features a low splicing and return loss connection with conventional single-mode fiber (Typical connection loss: 0.01 dB @ 1.31 micrometer and 0.05 dB @ 1.55 micrometer, return loss: >50dB) and multi-mode fiber (Typical connection loss: 0.02 dB @ 850 nm, return loss: >28dB). The product also features a low bending loss of 5 mm radium (one turn) for single- and multi-mode transmission simultaneously. Dual-Mode Fiber has a cylindrically symmetric structure which provides relatively flat transparent characteristics for wavelength region between 1250 nm and 1650 nm (10 turns of 10 mm radium).

Both tough and flexible, Dual-Mode optical fiber is easy to work with and comes in a unique, easy to carry compact optical fiber reel.

SOURCE: NTT