Low Rayleigh scattering P/sub 2/O/sub 5/-F-SiO/sub 2/ glasses

The Rayleigh scattering and infrared absorption losses of P/sub 2/O/sub 5/-F-doped silica glass, which is a candidate material for ultra-low-loss optical fiber, were investigated experimentally. The Rayleigh scattering loss of 8.5 wt.% P/sub 2/O/sub 5/ and 0.3 wt.% F-doped SiO/sub 2/ glass is found to be 0.8 times that of pure silica glass. It is also found that the infrared absorption property of P/sub 2/O/sub 5/-F-SiO/sub 2/ glass is almost the same as that of pure silica glass. The minimum loss for the proposed composition is estimated to be 0.11 dB/km at 1.55 mu m wavelength, and 0.21 dB/km at 1.3 mu m wavelength.>