TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENCE OF CHROMATIC DISPERSION IN DISPERSION-SHIFTED FIBERS - EXPERIMENT AND ANALYSIS

The temperature dependence of chromatic dispersion is reported for two different dispersion-shifted communications fibers with zero dispersion wavelengths lambda0 almost-equal-to 1.54 and 1.56 mum, respectively. Although the temperature dependence of dispersion is quite different for the two as wavelength lambda --> lambda0, the value of dlambda0/dT almost-equal-to 0.03 nm/K is closely equal for both. Evidence is presented to show that dlambda0/dT is dominantly a property of the fiber material (germania doped silica) and is not significantly dependent on fiber design. A materials analysis is presented using a two-term Sellmeier formalism, one term each for electronic and ionic response. The relevant Sellmeier parameters and their temperature derivatives are determined and the temperature dependence of lambda0 is shown to be dominantly driven by a temperature modulation almost-equal-to -0.4 meV/K of the electronic Sellmeier band gap.