Patent ID: 6856743

Claim:
An optical waveguide fiber comprising: a central region extending radially outward from the centerline and having a positive relative refractive index percent, Δ 1 %(r) with a maximum relative refractive index percent, Δ 1,MAX ; a first annular region surrounding the central region and having a positive relative refractive index percent, Δ 2 %(r), with a maximum relative refractive index percent, Δ 2,MAX ; a second annular region surrounding the first annular region and having a negative relative refractive index percent, Δ 3 %(r) with a minimum relative refractive index percent, Δ 3,MIN , the second annular region extending from an inner radius, R 3A , to an outer radius, R 3 ; and an outer annular cladding region surrounding the second annular region and having a relative refractive index percent, Δ c %(r); wherein the mode field diameter at 1550 nm is greater than 9 μm; wherein the inner radius of the second annular region, R 3A , is greater than the mode field diameter at 1550 nm; wherein the outer radius of the second annular region, R 3 , is less than or equal to 2.5 times the mode field diameter at 1550 nm; and wherein the optical fiber has an effective area of greater than about 60 μm 2 at a wavelength of about 1550 nm, a dispersion at a wavelength of about 1550 nm between about 4 ps/nm-km and 10 ps/nm-km, a dispersion slope of less than 0.07 ps/nm 2 /km at a wavelength of about 1550 nm, and a zero-dispersion wavelength of less than about 1500 nm.