News | February 3, 2011

Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd. And OFS Fitel, LLC Launch Phase Stabilized Optical Cable

Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. (FEC), and the U.S.-based Specialty Photonics Division of OFS Fitel, LLC (OFS SPD), are pleased to announce the US launch of "Phase Stabilized Optical Fiber" (PSOF) Cable, used for transmitting base band signals in synchronized measurement systems. These complex systems have application in the fields of astronomy, linear particle acceleration, quantum mechanics and phased array antenna. The PSOF is designed with standard size and optical performance (in compliance with the ITU – T G652) but is buffered with "liquid crystal polymer", a material with negative thermal expansion coefficient. This allows the PSOF cable to minimize the temperature dependence of transmission delay time

"PSOF has a propagation delay temperature coefficient roughly 15 times better than standard optical fibers," states Cathy Ciardiello, OFS SPD Market Manager for Government, Aerospace & Defense. "This improvement in performance translates to a thermal stability of propagation time of = 5ps/km/°C over the temperature range of 0°C to 35°C." The cable is constructed with aramid strength members and an outer PVC jacket with a diameter of 2.8mm.

The enhanced stability over temperature offered by PSOF means designers of synchronized measurement systems can now take advantage of the many benefits of using optical fiber vs coaxial cable, such as low noise, low attenuation, and electromagnetic immunity (EMI).

About Furukawa Electric Company, Ltd.
Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd. is an $11B global leader in the design, manufacture and supply of fiber optic products, network products, electronics components, power cables, nonferrous metals, and other advanced technology products. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Furukawa operates production facilities on five continents around the globe, including OFS and the OFS, Specialty Photonics Division, in the USA. For more information, visit www.furukawa.co.jp/english.

About OFS
OFS is a world-leading designer, manufacturer and provider of optical fiber, optical fiber cable, FTTX, optical connectivity and specialty photonics products. Our manufacturing and research divisions work together to provide innovative products and solutions that traverse many different applications as they link people and machines worldwide. Between continents, between cities, around neighborhoods, and into homes and businesses of digital consumers we provide the right optical fiber, optical cable and components for efficient, cost-effective transmission.

OFS' corporate lineage dates back to 1876 and includes technology powerhouses such as AT&T and Lucent Technologies (now Alcatel-Lucent). Today, OFS is owned by Furukawa Electric, a multi-billion dollar global leader in optical communications.

Headquartered in Norcross (near Atlanta) Georgia, U.S., OFS is a global provider with facilities in Avon, Connecticut; Carrollton, Georgia; Somerset, New Jersey; and Sturbridge, Massachusetts, as well as in Denmark, Germany and Russia. For more information, visit www.ofsoptics.com.

About OFS, Specialty Photonics Division
OFS, Specialty Photonics Division, is an industry leader in optical fiber design or modification for highly specialized or customized applications. It supplies advanced optical fibers, including specialty multimode, specialty single-mode, rare-earth doped, polarization-maintaining and other nonstandard fibers. It also manufactures specialty cables and connectors, and other specialty products, such as high-power laser components. For more information, visit: www.SpecialtyPhotonics.com.

SOURCE: Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. & OFS Fitel, LLC