A new method for evaluating optical fiber strain in a bent cable is proposed. The method is applied to fiber strain measurement in an actual optical cable and is found to be effective.

This letter proposes a new-type of two-dimensional multichannel optical switch employing polarization control techniques. This switch has small-size and low-driving-power characteristics. It is demonstrated by an 88 optical switch.

This letter proposes a novel technique for evaluating the longitudinal distribution of the Raman gain characteristics in optical fibers connected to a reference optical fiber with a known Raman gain efficiency. This technique can evaluate the Raman gain efficiency in test fibers using a simplified experimental setup. We performed experiments on various test fibers and confirmed that their Raman gain efficiency can be obtained easily and accurately by employing a reference fiber.

This letter describes an efficient and economical method for dropping optical fiber to residential premises in which several fiber ribbons in a distribution cable are assigned to one dropping point. The optical fiber cables for dropping, which contain mono-coated fibers, are then aerially installed between several poles from this point during initial construction. One or two fibers in a cable are then branched and dropped to a subscriber when the demand arises. When an optical drop wire stranded cable is used as the optical fiber cable for dropping, the above method can be employed without the need for a fiber joint in the dropping portion. The tube stranding pitch of this cable is investigated theoretically and experimentally, and the cable is manufactured based on the results. The transmission characteristics of the cable are confirmed to be stable.

This paper describes a high-speed MT connector assembly method. This technique uses adhesive with a short hardening time, is highly reliable and does not require a polishing process, thus reducing the connector assembly time. First, we investigated an alpha-cyanoacrylate adhesive that hardens quickly and whose adhesive strength does not decrease under high humidity and high temperature conditions, thus ensuring its excellent reliability for outside use. In addition, we investigated variations in the position of the fiber endface on the ferrule endface with a view to obtaining a low insertion loss. Based on the results, we assembled an MT connector using our proposed high-speed assembly method. We confirmed that the assembly time could be reduced to less than 70% of the time required with the conventional method. MT connectors assembled using this technique have a low insertion loss and stable environmental characteristics.

This letter proposes a mechanical single-mode fiber-optic switch which interconnects a pair of probe fibers and pairs of line fibers to perform fault testing. The 16-channel switch array is fabricated and the switching performance is confirmed to be excellent.

This letter describes the polarization mode dispersion (PMD) characteristic of optical fiber ribbons inserted tightly into helical slots. We investigate the mechanism of the birefringence induced in the optical fiber ribbons by lateral stress resulting from tension and bending in the helical slots. We discuss methods for the design of low PMD cables with reduced birefringence by considering coating materials and tensile strain control.

This letter proposes a non-metallic optical fiber cable which contains fiber ribbons inserted into slots, with a high impact resistant sheath which affords protection against shotgun pellets. The protective performance of the materials is investigated experimentally. Based on the results, non-metallic 100-fiber cable with a high impact resistant sheath was manufactured and its performance was evaluated. It is confirmed that this cable has excellent transmission, mechanical and antiballistic characteristics.

This letter presents the first experimental results that confirm the restorability of Rayleigh backscatter traces from a single-mode fiber measured by using a coherent optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) with a precisely frequency-controlled light source. Based on this restorability, we can measure the distributed strain and temperature along the fiber with a very high measurand resolution that is one to two orders of magnitude better than that provided by Brillouin-based techniques for a long length of fiber.

This letter proposes a new-type electrostatically-driven fiber-optic micromechanical switch by fabrication of a 32-element switch array and examines its switching performances. Low-loss and high-extinction-ratio characteristics are confirmed.

A high-density cable structure, containing fiber ribbons inserted tightly into slots, is proposed for a high-fiber-count feeder line. This paper describes theoretical and experimental investigations on the residual strain due to inserting ribbons into a helical slot in this cable. The residual strain caused by different insertion methods is clarified and a strain suppression method is discussed. Based on the results, 600-fiber cable is manufactured and the transmission and mechanical performances are confirmed to be excellent.

This letter proposes novel optical fiber cables with extremely small cable diameter that employs rollable 20-fiber ribbons, which will improve fiber ribbon and cable productivity compared with optical fiber cable employing rollable 4-fiber ribbons. We fabricated the cables and investigated its feasibility in terms of high-count compactness, cable productivity, fiber strain induced by cable bending, optical loss characteristics and capacity for mass splicing. As a result, we confirmed the excellence of these cables and their fiber splicing workability.

This paper describes a low-loss submarine optical fiber cable for a long-distance submarine repeaterless transmission system that employs remote pumping. The features of this system are that it has an increased signal power budget and is cost effective and easy to maintain. First, we investigated the relationship between the signal and pump losses and the Raman gain efficiency of optical fiber needed to achieve a submarine repeaterless transmission system operating at 2.5 Gbps and over a distance exceeding 370 km. We manufactured a submarine optical fiber cable based on the results and confirmed that it had low-loss characteristics. Second, we evaluated the long-term loss stability of the optical fiber with a high-power continuous wave (CW) laser light as the pump source. We confirmed that the loss remained unchanged after 1900 hours of exposure to 8 W CW laser light at a wavelength of 1.48 µm. This submarine optical fiber cable is being employed in a commercial submarine repeaterless transmission system between Okinawa and Miyakojima.

A novel technique is proposed for measuring the distributed strain and temperature in a fiber with a very high resolution. This technique makes use of the jagged appearance of Rayleigh backscatter traces from a single-mode fiber measured by using a coherent OTDR with a precisely frequency-controlled light source. Our preliminary experiment indicated the possibility of measuring temperature with a resolution of better than 0.01 and a spatial resolution of one meter. This temperature resolution is two orders of magnitude better than that provided by Brillouin-based distributed sensors.

This paper proposes a novel fiber endface preparation tool for optical fiber joints that employs thermal surface cleaning and thermal endface cutting. This tool has great advantages in terms of fiber endface preparation time, and fiber endface stability when fiber is cut repeatedly. Stable thermal surface cleaning and thermal endface cutting are achieved by selecting suitable heating conditions. The fiber endface preparation time can be reduced to 50% of that required with conventional tools. The fiber endface stability obtained using thermal cutting is more than five times better than that obtained with the conventional tool using a blade.

To avoid over-engineered and expensive systems, it is important that the design takes account of variations in optical fiber characteristics due to the presence of many fiber pieces and splices in optical fiber networks. We present a design method for optical fiber networks that employ distributed Raman amplification (DRA), that considers variations in both optical losses at signal and pump wavelengths, Raman gain characteristics and splice losses. Our method can be applied to the design of both newly developed systems and installed systems. We show design examples based on our method and reveal the practicability of our method.

This paper describes the fiber unit blowing length of an optical fiber distribution system for business buildings which employs pipe cable, fiber units and the fiber unit blowing technique. The relationship between the applied force and the length of a fiber unit blown into a straight pipe is investigated theoretically and experimentally and the fiber unit blowing length is estimated. Moreover, the pipe bending radius which has a small bending resistance force is clarified. Cables, fiber units and unit blowing equipment are manufactured based on the results and their transmission and mechanical characteristics are confirmed to be stable.

This letter proposes a high speed multifiber connector assembly method, which uses UV-curable adhesive and which does not require a polishing process, thus reducing the connector assembly time. It is confirmed that the assembly time can be reduced to less than half the time required with the conventional assembly method. The multifiber connectors assembled using this method have a low connection loss and stable mechanical characteristics.

An MT connector assembly machine has been designed and developed. The connector assembly time using this machine is about 30% less than with the conventional method. The MT connectors assembled employing this machine have a low connection loss and stable mechanical characteristics.

Various types of optical connector with a precise alignment mechanism and long-term reliability have been researched, developed and improved during about 30 years since practical optical communication systems were first introduced in Japan in 1981. The main issues related to optical fiber connector development changed from performance improvement to miniaturization, cost reduction and ease of field assembly when optical communication systems expanded from optical trunk networks to optical access networks. Various different key technologies for optical connectors have been developed to meet these requirements, and a large number of optical connectors are currently being used for the flexible and efficient construction, maintenance and operation of optical access networks. This paper describes the structure, features, and basic technologies of the optical connectors employed in optical access networks in Japan and their standardization and future prospects.