Loss properties due to Rayleigh scattering in different types of fiber

The effects of fiber structure on Rayleigh scattering were investigated in detail. Some step-index fibers such as GeO2- and F-doped silica-based fibers and total-internal-reflection photonic crystal fiber are examined. The Rayleigh scattering loss (RSL) depends on the fiber materials and index profiles, and different types of fiber have different dependencies on those parameters because of the different optical power confinement factors in every layer. On the basis of these results, the RSL can be optimized by adjusting the fiber structure or by selecting different materials. (C) 2003 Optical Society of America.