Microstructured transmission optical fiber

1. A microstructured optical fiber for transmitting optical signals comprised of light, the optical fiber comprising:

a core region disposed about a longitudinal centerline and having a refractive index profile with a first refractive index, and

a cladding region surrounding the core region, the cladding region comprising an annular void-containing region comprised of non-periodically disposed voids;

wherein maximum void diameter in nm is d max , and the maximum void length in cm is not greater than 2.5×10 5 ×(d max ) −1.7 .

2. The optical fiber in claim 1 wherein the maximum void length in cm is not greater than 6×10 4 ×(d max ) −1.7 .

3. The optical fiber in claim 1 , wherein the maximum void diameter is less than 450 nm.

4. The optical fiber in claim 1 , wherein the maximum void diameter is less than 250 nm.

5. The optical fiber in claim 1 , wherein the maximum void diameter is less than 150 nm.

6. The optical fiber in claim 1 , wherein the maximum void length is less than 8 cm.

7. The optical fiber in claim 1 , wherein the maximum void length is less than 4 cm.

8. The optical fiber in claim 1 , wherein the maximum void length is less than 2 cm.

9. The optical fiber in claim 1 , wherein the optical fiber further has:

i) 22-meter cutoff wavelength of less than 1500 nm;

ii) mean void diameter less than 100 nm; and

iii) regional void area greater than 1%.

10. The optical fiber of claim 9 , wherein the 22-meter cabled cutoff wavelength is less than 1260 nm.

11. The optical fiber of claim 9 , wherein the regional void fraction in said annular void-containing region is greater than 2% and less than 10%.

12. The optical fiber of claim 9 , wherein the regional void fraction in said annular void-containing region in said is greater than 5% and less than 10%.

13. The optical fiber of claim 1 , said fiber further having attenuation at 1550 nm is less than 0.5 dB/Km.

14. The optical fiber of claim 13 , wherein the attenuation at 1550 nm is less than 0.25 dB/Km.

15. The optical fiber in claim 14 , wherein the voids comprise at least one of Kr gas, SO 2 gas.

16. The optical fiber in claim 15 wherein the voids comprise at least one of: Kr gas, SO 2 gas.

17. The optical fiber in claim 1 , wherein the number of voids in the annular void-containing region is greater than 300.

18. The optical fiber in claim 1 , wherein the void number density is greater than 4/μm 2 .

19. A method of polishing fiber of claim 1 , said method comprising the steps of:

(i) cleaving the fiber of claim 1 , thereby forming a cleaved end face; and

(ii) polishing said cleaved end face.

20. A method of connectorizing an optical fiber having a core, a cladding with non-periodically disposed voids, and at least one of a coating and a buffer, the method comprising the steps of:

(i) stripping a length of at least one of the coating and the buffer to expose a portion of the optical fiber;

(ii) cleaving the exposed optical fiber portion to form a cleaved end-face, said cleaved end-face comprising voids with diameter not greater than maximum void diameter (in nm) d p and maximum void length (in cm) of not greater than 2.5×10 5 ×(d max ) −1.7 ;

(iii) polishing said cleaved end-face to form a polished fiber end face.

21. The method according to claim 20 , wherein the optical fiber is mounted within a connector ferrule having a ferrule end-face.

22. The method according to claim 20 so that the exposed portion of the fiber is protruding beyond the ferrule end-face.

23. The method according to claim 20 , wherein said polished fiber end face is in a common plane with the ferrule end face.

24. A method of polishing microstructured optical fiber having a core region disposed about a longitudinal centerline and having a refractive index profile with a first refractive index, and a cladding region surrounding the core region, the cladding region comprising an annular void-containing region comprised of non-periodically disposed voids, said method comprising the steps of:

(i) cleaving the optical, thereby forming a cleaved end face, the cleaved end face containing exposed voids with maximum void diameter d max in nm, and the maximum void length in cm of not greater than 2.5×10 5 ×(d max ) −1.7 ; and

(ii) polishing said cleaved end face.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the maximum void length in cm is not greater than 6×10 4 ×(d max ) −1.7 .

26. The method of claim 23 , wherein 4 the maximum void diameter is less than 250 nm and the maximum void length is less than 8 cm.