OPTISCHE WELLENLEITER MIT OPTIMALEN BRECHUNGSINDEXGEFAELLEN

A graded-index optical waveguide for use in an optical communication system in which optical signals having a mean wavelength lambda are propagated. The fiber comprises a core of radius a surrounded by a suitable cladding layer, the refractive index n(r) at any radius r less than a being given by n(r) = n1[1 - 2 DELTA (r/a )< alpha >]1/2 WHERE DELTA (4+Y) (3+Y) alpha = 2+ Y - (5+2Y) 2N1 lambda D DELTA /D lambda Y = - N1 DELTA n1 is the refractive index at the center of the core, n2 is the refractive index of the core at r = a, DELTA = (n12 - n22)/2n12 and N1 = n1 - lambda dn1/d lambda . This index gradient takes into account effects introduced by differences between the dispersive properties of the core and cladding compositions and thus provides minimum delay distortion at the wavelength of the propagated light.