We have evaluated the compatibility of two new fiber/cable products for fusion splicing. We first compared geometrical characteristics (core/cladding diameter, non-circularity, and concentricity error) and optical parameters (cut-off wavelength and MFD, Mode Field Diameter) of two new products and three established, widely used fiber products in telecommunications networks. Although these products were found to conform to the geometrical requirements set forth in GR-20-CORE, they showed variability in their conformance to the optical requirements of GR-20-CORE. We also evaluated the mechanical integrity of five sets of protected fusion splices made between these products. We determined the breaking load to be in the range from 25 N (5.6 lb_f) to 37 N (8.3 lb_f). In the final phase of our investigations on the compatibility of two new fibers with each other and with three established fiber/cable products, we examined the transmission loss of three sets of protected fusion splices: splices made with the two new products and hybrid splices made between these products. Transmission loss measurements at 1310 nm, 1550 nm and 1625 nm showed consistently higher loss for hybrid splices than those made with each of the two fiber products. The splice losses of up to 0.5 dB were observed for these two fiber products with MFD values of 9.41 nm and 9.16 μm. Our results to date serve to underline the importance of fiber compatibility in the satisfactory performance of fusion splices made from optical fibers/cables of different origin.
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