Development history and recent trend of optical fiber technologies

摘要

Historical review is presented of fiber technologies from the 1970s till now. Discussion is made by dividing the period into two phases; the first phase closing nearly at the end of the 1980s and the second one starting at the same time. As for the first phase, we present standardization of fiber structural parameters, discovery and establishment of countermeasure for loss increases due to hydrogen, and development of dispersion shifted fiber. Development of an optical fiber amplifier triggered the start of the second phase. We discuss novel non-zero dispersion shifted fibers and dispersion compensating fibers, which meet the requirements for long distance and high bit-rate WDM transmission systems using the optical fiber amplifiers.