Abstract

Er-doped fibers, deployed in amplifier-based lightguide systems, achieve high 1550-nm signal amplification to low 1480-nm pump- power ratios by using amplifying fiber designs having small mode-field diameters (approximately 4 µm). If these fibers were to be abruptly interfaced with larger-mode-field-diameter (7.5-10.5 µm) dispersion-shifted or conventional fibers, unacceptably large transmission-loss penalties would be incurred. This paper describes splicing technology wherein the parameters of an arc-fusion splicing machine (current and time) are adaptively controlled to assure optimal thermal diffusion of the fiber-core dopants,¹ thereby creating a tapered transition region between the mating fibers, that results in fiber splices that have consistently low losses (<0.1 dB).

© 1993 Optical Society of America